In early pregnancy, different parts of a baby’s face develop separately and then join together. If some parts do not join properly, the baby is born with a cleft. In the UK three babies a day are born with a cleft lip and/or palate resulting in a 20-year treatment pathway.

The NHS Cleft Teams are made up of a number of specialists from surgeons to speech therapists who are dedicated to providing the best possible care for people born with a cleft. Surgery is needed to close the gap left by the cleft and this will usually happen when the child is under a year old.

David’s grandson, Isaac Meredith, is one of these babies. #1in700

The James/Meredith family have no known family history of people being affected with a cleft lip or palate so when Isaacs cleft lip was detected at his 20 week scan the family were shocked having never even thought about the possibility. They were therefore advised by doctors to contact CLAPA for help, advice and support.

The Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) makes sure that nobody is alone throughout their cleft journey by providing an amazing support network and allowing people from all walks of life to share experiences, coping mechanisms and provides a way of making new friends.

Therefore, in order to raise awareness, support Isaac and support anyone else affected by clefts, Isaacs parents, Rhodri and Helen, along with David, Oliver and Emily, are going to run the Cardiff Half Marathon in October. Any sponsorship, big or small would be greatly appreciated as every donation will help CLAPA continue to provide specialist and targeted help for all those affected by clefts.

#everysmiletellsastory
#cleftstrong