UNTIL CLEFTS ARE PREVENTABLE, HELP IS AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE

[TODAY, ONE IN 700 BABIES in the UK are born with a cleft lip and palate, the most common form of birth defect.

The impact on a child’s life as they grow is profound. It may affect not only the way they look, but also their speech, hearing and dental development. And it can leave deep psychological scars.

In the developing world, patients with clefts are frequently not operated on until later in life, if at all. As a result, they may be malnourished and unable to talk well or hear properly. Often, they will be social outcasts.

At CLEFT, our vision is of a future where clefts are preventable. Until we get there, we want to improve the lives of those born with cleft lip and palate – in the UK and in poorer countries around the world.

By funding research, we continue to make headway into understanding why clefts occur and to deliver pioneering new treatments that deliver kinder, more effective and more efficient care for children with cleft lip and palate.

By supporting the development of cleft centres in low and middleincome countries we aim to give children born with clefts in these poorer countries the same opportunities available to children in the UK. Each donation takes us a step closer to reaching our goal. All gifts could have a direct impact on changing the lives of many hundreds of thousands of babies and children around the world.

Please join us and help us prevent clefts for future generations. q