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 there are other people who look like you instead of thinking you are the only person in the world with this anomaly.

Of course, as they advance in age knowing you are not alone makes more and more of a difference.