Xi turned five years old while he was in the hospital in Wenzhou, China. He had never had his birthday celebrated before. His family is poor and they don’t have money to buy each other presents. So something like cleft surgery was always just a dream. During his stay, the team asked all of the...
A 50-year-old woman had cradled in her arms a 3 month-old baby girl. She had found the baby in a garbage can, covered with blood, umbilical cord still attached. Born with a cleft lip and palate, the baby started her life as a person no one wanted. Wrapped only in a blanket, tucked in with...
This Is Ley’s Amazing Story We met Ley during our first mission to Wenzhou China in 2008. She was an adorable 6 year old girl born with a cleft lip and palate. The minute Ley walked into clinic with her easy smile and warm nature, she found her way into the hearts of the whole...
Ley’s Journey We met Ley during our first mission to Wenzhou China in 2008. She was an adorable 6 year old girl born with a cleft lip and palate. The minute Ley walked into the Alliance for Smiles clinic, with her easy smile and warm nature, she found her way into the hearts of the...
This indigenous woman from rural mountainous area of China sits with her daughter and her neighbor’s daughter, both of whom need cleft surgery. It is unusual for cleft babies to see other babies that look like them. Even at this early age, the babies have a reaction to each other; it helps to know that...
