The Smile Train

Change a child's life in just 45 minutes

An entire lifetime of pain and heartache can be avoided with a quick, simple surgical procedure that costs around just £150.

Few medical procedures in the world can change a child's life as quickly and dramatically as cleft surgery. 

To fully appreciate it, you need to understand what their lives were like before surgery.  In developing countries, most children with clefts live in desperate poverty.  Many of them cannot eat or speak properly and are not allowed to attend school or get a job.  Often families keep their children hidden in shame and isolation.

The free cleft surgery offered by Smile Train can take as little as 45 minutes and cost just £150.  It doesn't require any special equipment and it can often be done under local anaesthesia.

After surgery, the change in appearance is often so dramatic that some mothers think they are being handed back the wrong child.  "You've made a mistake; this cannot be my baby!"  When older children wake after surgery and look in a mirror for the very first time, tears stream down their cheeks as they stare at their new appearance.  It takes some time for them to realise that their long nightmare of life with a cleft is really over.

Recovery from surgery is swift.  In just days, the swelling goes down, the stitches come out, and the scars begin to diminish.  For those who need it, speech therapy can help a child learn how to speak properly.  Within days, some children begin school for the first time in their lives.  The boost in their self-esteem and confidence is immeasurable and will last an entire lifetime.

The best part is that these changes are permanent.  With cleft surgery, there are no relaspes.  Just a new smile, a new hope, and a new outlook on life that will last forever.

Smile Train - Changing the world one smile at a time

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