Tagged with:Parent Stories

  • A baby asleep in a photo studio, leaning on rainbow blocks, wearing a cream dress with a cream background.

    Eva’s Story

    7 Apr 2022

    In February 2021, we headed off for our 20-week scan. We were so happy to be told we were expecting another girl, but a lot of silence soon followed, and the sonographer said, “I suspect little one may have a cleft lip.”

  • A baby sitting in a swing in a park wearing blue

    Brooklyn’s Story

    29 Mar 2022

    I remember going for my first scan; I was so excited to see my teeny little baby on the screen, but little did I know I would be told my baby would be born with a cleft lip and potentially a cleft palate too.

  • A baby sleeping, covered by a blue, cream and brown knitted blanket

    Emma’s Poem for Sully

    25 Mar 2022

    Emma has written a beautiful poem for her son Sully, who was diagnosed at 20 weeks with a cleft. We caught up with her and how they are finding the journey so far.

  • A young boy wearing a blue coat and wellies, stood on a path by grass.

    Benjamin’s Story

    25 Mar 2022

    Michelle's son Benjamin was born with a cleft palate. Michelle reflects on their journey so far, from diagnosis to surgery, and the challenges they overcame.

  • A baby in a white sailor shirt looks at the camera and sits on a blanket patterned with elephants

    Ashleigh, Brad and Arthur’s Story

    17 Dec 2021

    From diagnosis to lip repair surgery and raising £2,500 for CLAPA, Ashleigh reflects on Arthur's cleft journey so far and hopes for a world where more people are cleft aware.

  • A woman holds a smiling baby while crouched down in a playground

    Rebecca and Nina’s Story

    2 Sep 2021

    Any parent or carer in the cleft community will have vivid memories of their child’s cleft surgeries, as well as all the worries that these bring. One year on from her daughter’s cleft palate repair surgery, Rebecca remembers the lead up to the operation as well as the unique stresses brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic.

  • Black and white photo of a baby with a unilateral cleft lip, flying on a furry blanket and wearing a white shirt and suspenders.

    Rebecca, Darren and Mason’s story

    26 Mar 2021

    Throughout their son's cleft journey so far, Rebecca and Darren have received support from CLAPA, as well as healthcare professionals and their family and friends. They wanted to give back and recently set up a Facebook Fundraiser to support our work, raising a phenomenal £1035! Here’s their story.

  • Georgia’s Story

    15 Jan 2021

    Georgia's sons, Theo and Jude, were both born with a cleft, 6 years apart. In this powerful piece, Georgia looks back on her experiences of diagnosis, feeding and surgery, hoping to reassure other parents and carers who might be going through similar experiences.

  • A black and white photo of Helen, wearing a smart dress, heels and a hat, sitting on a chair holding baby Sean who wears a long white Christening robe. A man dressed in a suit crouches next to the chair.

    Helen’s Story

    19 Nov 2020

    Helen, who is now 89, has been supporting CLAPA with our Christmas cards for years. She reflected back on her experiences as a parent of a child who was born with a cleft palate, and has kindly shared her story with us.

  • Poppy’s Story

    12 Nov 2020

    10 year old Poppy, who was born with a cleft and Pierre Robin Sequence, recently placed 4th in the English School Nationals for running! She is sharing her story to inspire others to follow their dreams and do what they love.