Paulwin holds a photograph of herself when she was a baby, before her cleft surgery.supplied
A cost-effective, high-impact medical intervention that changes lives forever
Worldwide, a baby is born with a cleft every three minutes. By empowering local medical professionals and raising awareness, Smile Train, a global charity, is working to ensure that every child born with a cleft lip and/or palate has access to the care they need to live a full and healthy life.
“Every child deserves the chance to smile and speak without difficulty, and through safe, free cleft surgery and comprehensive care, we make that possible,” says Cicely Dickson, Smile Train Canada Foundation’s director of development.
Smile Train Canada Foundation is one of the non-governmental organization’s (NGO) international entities working to help sponsor cleft surgeries and other vital non-surgical cleft care, like speech, nutrition and orthodontic support in areas of greatest need.
One of those areas of need is India, where it’s estimated more than 33,000 babies are born with a cleft every year and there is a backlog of an estimated one million untreated cases in the country.
In collaboration with Smile Train India, the Canadian foundation is tackling the ongoing need for cleft treatment by building capacity through its sustainable model of training local medical professionals and strengthening hospital infrastructure. Since its founding in 2000, Smile Train India has supported more than 750,000 cleft surgeries.
“In India, many people, particularly those in rural areas, are unaware that a cleft is a treatable condition,” says Ms. Dickson.
“Children born with clefts face lifelong challenges with eating, breathing, hearing and speaking. Without surgery and follow-up care such as speech therapy and orthodontics, their situation can be dire – but with timely treatment, they’re set up to thrive,” says Ms. Dickson.
“We do a lot of work with local social workers to educate parents [of children with clefts] that this facial difference can be treated and is free of charge to them,” says Ms. Dickson.
To build the capacity of local medical professionals, the NGO offers various education and training programs and resources for surgeons, anesthesia providers, nurses, nutritionists, orthodontists and other cleft care providers, says Smile Train’s chief development officer, Elyse Taub. The organization has also invested in innovative and leading-edge medical technology – such as virtual simulators – to maximize the impact of training and education.
In addition to its work in India, Smile Train is active in over 75 countries worldwide and has supported over two million life-changing cleft surgeries – more than every other cleft charity combined.
“This is such a cost-effective but high-impact medical intervention. Once a cleft is treated, that child’s life is forever transformed, and there’s a ripple effect on their family and their community. Everyone is uplifted,” says Ms. Dickson.
Learn more: smiletraincanada.org
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.