Hi everyone, I'm J

It's Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Week 16 - 24th May, and with some major, worrying news of cuts to specialist cleft surgery training, I wanted to do a fundraiser for CLAPA (Cleft Lip and Palate Action).

I'm taking a 'Six sixes for 36' challenge, walking six miles every day for six days for Helmsley to Rievaulx. Because I'm 36. Geddit?

I'll be posting my progress on Strava, and will share it here and on Instagram @jcridford

What is a cleft lip and palate?

At 36 years old, I’ve learned that a smile is never just a smile—sometimes, it’s a lifelong project. I was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, a condition where the upper lip and the roof of the mouth don't fuse during development. While about 1 in 700 babies are born with a cleft, only 9% of us face the bilateral version, which affected both sides of my lip and created a gap reaching from my mouth into my nose.

Growing up with a cleft isn't just about one or two "fix-it" operations. It’s a marathon that starts on day one. For me and many others, it has meant:

Early Hurdles

Immediate difficulties with feeding and breathing as an infant.

The Surgical Cycle

Lip and palate repairs in the first year, followed by bone grafts and childhood spent in orthodontic chairs. I had my first surgery at six months, my second at 12 months. I had two bone grafts between the ages of 10 and 12 - both were ineffective.

The "Invisible" Work

Years of speech therapy, endless X-rays, hearing tests, and the mental load of ongoing dental work. To this day, I have to work hard to maintain my oral health. Then there's the bullying and general mental tolls, which I managed to overcome.

Even as an adult, the journey doesn't truly end. While many undergo further reconstructive surgeries later in life, I’ve chosen a non-surgical path to manage my fistula (the opening in the palate) using a specialised denture. It’s a daily reminder of how far I’ve come and the unique choices we have to make to live comfortably.

Who is CLAPA?

CLAPA (Cleft Lip and Palate Action) is the national UK charity supporting people affected by cleft lip and palate. They provide specialist feeding equipment, trusted information, one‑to‑one and online support, youth services, and community events, while raising awareness and championing better cleft care for all.

They receive no NHS or government funding and rely on donations to continue their vital work.

Proposed government funding cuts

A Royal College of Surgeons of England letter to the Department of Health was published stating the decision to cut Training Interface Group (TIG) fellowships “with no warning or consultation” risked leaving the NHS without future doctors trained for complex procedures, including cleft lip and palate.

TIG fellowships are highly specialised NHS training programmes, which take place across multiple specialities and multidisciplinary teams at the end of a surgeon’s training – such as plastic surgery, ENT surgery, and oral and maxillofacial surgery for trainee cleft surgeons. The Royal College has warned that if no new surgeons enter the TIG training programmes it could lead to fewer NHS surgeons being able to take on complex work, including cleft surgery, when current surgeons retire.

CLAPA’s Chief Executive Claire Cunniffe wrote to Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care for comment. As of 2nd May 2026, there has been no reply. Read the story here.