The Smile Train is dedicated to helping the millions of children in India who suffer from unrepaired cleft lips & palates by providing free surgery, giving them a new smile, new hope, & new beginning.
Each year about 24,000 Indian babies are born with cleft lips and palates. Because of their defect, they are often abandoned at birth. The greatest tragedy is that cleft surgery is a simple procedure that takes as little as 45 minutes and can cost as little as $250. This surgery gives hope and a new beginning to children who otherwise would lead lives of isolation and shame.
Each child who undergoes cleft surgery is given a second chance at life. The surgery takes 45 minutes, but the impact lasts a lifetime. After years of living in shame and isolation, the children can finally go to school and lead happy lives.
Children’s lives will be changed forever. Their family’s dignity is restored and the medical community benefits. Trained Smile Train doctors share their surgical skills with new doctors assuring that cleft care will be available for years to come.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
