Three babies are born with a cleft lip and/or palate every day in the UK, and they face a 20-year treatment pathway which can continue well into adulthood. The Cleft Lip & Palate Association (CLAPA) is here to make sure no one has to go through this alone.

What CLAPA means to me:

I was born with a full cleft palate, meaning I had no soft or hard palate and it was going to need several operations to repair. My twin sister Abbie also had a cleft but it wasn’t as severe as mine. Little did my family know that each time I had a repair it would break down and another operation would be needed. I had my first operation on my cleft in 2003 (the day my boyfriend Willoughby was born!) when I was 9 months old with Abbie. Since 2003 I had to have 6 further surgeries up until 2007 to repair my palate. But I do still have a small fistula which still needs repairing and I currently have braces to undergo jaw surgery in the near future.

My cleft has had a massive impact on my life, missing a lot of primary school due to operations, I had to take a lot of time off so I didn’t bump my face (I was a very clumsy child) and I was not able to speak clearly until I was around 11!

I remember CLAPA parties each year in the summer and Christmas time which allowed my family and I to meet other children and families affected by a cleft. My twin sister and I also went on a residential with CLAPA too!

Every donation will help CLAPA to continue to provide specialist, targeted services to give people affected by cleft the knowledge and emotional support they need, while their UK-wide community brings together people from all walks of life to share experiences and learn to cope.