This May Cleft Friends is celebrating 10 Years! Whoop! Whoop! If you or your loved one is cleft affected feel free to email your photo and story to us at info@cleftfriends.co.za. We want to share encouraging stories and create awareness about cleft lip and palate in South Africa. You are not alone!
Steven was born on 29 October 2006 with a unilateral cleft lip and palate.
At the age of 5 months he received his first operation to repair the lip and part of the palate and second one at the age of one year to completely close it.
In 2017 they did a bone-graft, removing bone from his hip to plant into his upper gum to assist with the exposure of the teeth.
And in November 2018, he received his braces.
One day he wants to become an Anaesthesiologist, where he wants to do pro bono work in assisting the Smile Foundation with operations. He has a passion in assisting kids that has gone through and is still going through the same struggles he endured.
With his Youtube channel “Smile Like Me” he wants to achieve a few things:
- The first thing is to get one ambassador from each school (that was also born with a cleft lip and/or palate) to raise money for Smile Foundation and create awareness for cleft lip and palate patients.
- Then he wants to be a supporting channel for kids that still needs to go through surgery and treatment through the Smile Foundation.
- He also experienced being bullied about his looks and he wants to put positive words out there to assist them with this.
- Last but not least he wants to make sure that they know, nothing must ever stop you in achieving what you want to do or become.
Click here and remember to hit the SUBSCRIBE button!
Anesta – Proud Cleft Mommy
Cape Town, South Africa
#cleftfriends #smilefoundationsa #closingthegap #youarenotalone #cleftlip #cleftpalate #cleftstrong #cleftmomsSA #cleftcourage #smilelikeme
