Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Week

It’s Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Week this week – which is a great opportunity to talk about a part of my life that I don't often share in my day-to-day.

1 in 700 babies globally are born with a cleft lip, or palate, or both. Although this might seem like a small number, when you consider all the people that we work with, socialise with and generally interact with in day-to-day life, it’s almost guaranteed that someone we know will have been impacted by cleft, whether directly or through supporting a family member with the condition.

Cleft as a condition is misunderstood; many people believe that clefts are quickly resolved with a simple surgery. However, having a cleft lip and palate is a complex condition that can require up to 20 surgeries from birth into young adulthood, as well as feeding issues, hearing problems, dental problems and speech problems.

As you might have guessed, I’m not an uninterested party in this conversation, as my son, Eddie, was born with an unilateral (on one side) cleft lip and palate in early 2023. Although it’s been a tough journey which is still ongoing, I’m very proud of the person he’s becoming. Having coped with more than most toddlers do, he’s a very resilient and positive force, bringing joy and laughter every day to every situation.

The hardest part of our journey so far has been the diagnosis and the surgeries that Eddie has gone through. Cleft is commonly diagnosed at the 20-week scan, which is usually an exciting moment where people can find out the sex of their baby. Being presented with this news at that scan was a harrowing experience – it’s something that will always stay with me. Equally seeing your child go under general anaesthetic and being wheeled away into an operating room is an experience you never forget.

In a world which increasingly prioritises image and appearance, I hold onto hope that Eddie grows up in a world where the people around him are empathetic and hold space for the challenges he’s been through. Before I had a child who was affected by cleft, I had only heard of it in passing and had a limited understanding of what it meant – I would love for more people to know about this condition so that those impacted by cleft face fewer obstacles and less judgment in the future.

There’s more information about cleft on the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) website. They’re a charity run solely on donations and do fantastic work with families like mine to help with the process of being diagnosed and going through the challenges that follow. Smile Train is another impactful charity which funds surgeries for those diagnosed with cleft in countries across Asia, Africa and South America.

I was in the class of 2012 and enjoy staying in touch with many friends from LEH still. I hope by reading this you can help spread the awareness of those born with cleft.