On National Cleft Day, Smile Train India Highlights the Impact of Timely Cleft Treatment

To celebrate National Cleft Day, 8th February, Smile Train, the world's largest cleft focussed NGO that supports 100%-free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care launched the "Cleft Se Confidence Tak" campaign. The campaign lays emphasis on multiple possibilities for a child with a cleft, following timely, safe and accessible cleft treatment. Smile Train will be sharing messages from beneficiaries and partner doctors leveraging its social media platforms to amplify the success stories of cleft-affected people for awareness generation and confidence building.

Smile Train India launches the #CleftSeConfidenceTak campaign on National Cleft Day

Smile Train's Senior Vice President & Regional Director Asia, Mamta Carroll said, "Cleft treatment not only brings a transformational change in a child's ability to eat, speak and breathe but also generates confidence to face the world with positivity and new zeal. Over the last 23 years, we have witnessed, first hand, how timely care empowers cleft affected children. Many of them, today, are working in the IT industry, media & advertising, medicine, and some of them have even established themselves as social media influencers and mental health counsellors. Such is the impact of cleft treatment."

Cleft lip and/or palate is a facial birth difference that occurs when certain body parts do not fuse together during the first trimester of pregnancy. With 35,000+ plus cleft births annually, orofacial clefts are amongst one of the most common and heart-breaking birth conditions in the country. Apart from creating obstructions in swallowing, chewing, breathing, hearing and speech development, cleft condition also disrupts the normal facial appearance of a child. An unusual face caused by a cleft often has devastating consequences on a person's self-esteem and confidence level. However, with timely surgery and treatment, cleft can be completely cured, and one can have endless opportunities to thrive in life.

In 2008, a documentary on Smile Train supported patient Pinki's cleft journey, received the prestigious Oscar Awards. Pinki's journey is an ideal example of how cleft surgery can completely change a person's outlook towards life. And this is only one among the 675,000+ cleft patients' lives Smile Train has touched and transformed in India.

About Smile Train India

Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. Since 2000, Smile Train India has supported more than 675,000 free cleft surgeries across India, through a network of 150+ partner hospitals.

To learn more about how Smile Trains India's sustainable approach, please visit smiletrainindia.org. For cleft treatment related query or support, please call our toll-free helpline number: 1800 103 8301.