Working with charities like this is one of the things I love about my job.
-Cheryl
When children are born with a cleft lip and palate, they face a unique set of challenges: nursing difficulties, speech problems, dental issues, and more. Decades of medical care, speech therapy and social support are needed to complete the circle of care and truly benefit those born with a cleft lip and palate. In developing nations, access to this vital care can be hard to come by. That’s where Transforming Faces comes into play.
Founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1999, Transforming Faces aims to improve the lives of children and adults with cleft lip and palate by providing them with life-changing surgery, and connecting them with resources they need for every step of their journey.
“One in 700 children is born with cleft lip and palate—making it one of the most common birth anomalies in the world. Here in Canada, we are lucky that many families are able to access comprehensive cleft care early, but in the countries where we work, access to these life-changing services are often limited or non-existent,” said Cari Siebrits, communications specialist for Transforming Faces.
To make their mission a reality, Transforming Faces collaborates with local teams of dedicated professionals in six partner countries: India, Ethiopia, Thailand, Peru, Argentina and Chile. From funding to innovation and medical training, Transforming Faces provides full-circle cleft care for children and their families while educating the public to help end the stigma around cleft lip and palate.
As a recipient of a 4imprint® one by one® grant, Transforming Faces was able to order Neoskin Soft Cover Journals, customized with a cover in the organization’s bright orange brand color. The journals were presented to the attending delegates at the International Cleft Conference, which happens once every four years. This year’s conference brought together 1,500 delegates from around the world, including 28 staff members, board members and partners of Transforming Faces, representing 12 countries on five continents.
Together they shared research and forged meaningful connections. Siebrits said the journals were a big part of that. “It was a really great conversation starter because they were so beautiful, and really helped them stand out. Everyone loved the orange journals; they were in high demand, so we were excited to have them.”
To learn more about the 4imprint one by one program, visit our website at onebyone.4imprint.com. You can read more stories from our inspiring group of one by one recipients on Cheryl’s blog.