Aylen Proudly Shares Her Cleft Journey

My name is Aylen, and I have a cleft.

In the beginning, my cleft made it difficult for me to eat or be understood. However, I received a lot of support from my parents and my friends. They gave me the strength to go get cleft care.

Smile Train helped me with my treatments and connected me with the doctors and nurses at their partner Fundación Gantz.

I am so thankful to the medical team at the foundation. They are all very nice. They tell me that the speech therapy I am in is helping my voice improve and that I have achieved so much in my cleft treatment. Whenever I meet other kids there who are just starting cleft care, I tell them they are going to feel so much better.

My cleft treatment has made me feel happier and more cheerful. When my friends and family see how much progress I’ve made, they give me hugs!

When I grow up, I’d like to be a veterinarian. My favorite animals are dogs, cats, fishes, cows, and horses.

I hope Smile Train continues to support children, and I’m so happy they introduced me to Fundación Gantz.

And to the doctors at the foundation: thank you for being there for me. You brought a smile not only to me, but to my entire family.