News
News and updates from across every CLAPA region
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Fundraising Stories | Volunteering Opportunities |
The Future of CLAPA’s Branches
After a lengthy review of the Branch Network that has been a part of CLAPA since the very beginning, we’ve made some changes to improve the ways volunteers and fundraisers can work together.
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Adult Stories | Your Stories |
Georgina’s Story
Overall, I’ve found growing up with a cleft lip and gum difficult. I’ve felt really down and insecure about it at times. However I’ve realised it’s OK to be different. I don’t need a smaller nose or perfect shaped lips to be happy. I’ve become more accepting of myself and my scars. I’m trying to stop hiding behind makeup and my bad habit of covering my mouth when talking to people. I’m trying to love myself for the way I am.
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Awareness Week 2018: Every Smile Tells a Story
Awareness Week 2018 is drawing to a close. Here we look back on some of the highlights of the week, and look forward to how we'll keep the momentum going in 2018!
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Adult Issues | Your Stories |
Awareness Week 2018: Jenny’s Story
“I love the person I’ve become because I fought to become her.” Find out more about how cleft lip and palate affects adults, and what CLAPA is doing to help.
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Children & Young People's Stories | Your Stories |
Awareness Week 2018: Roannah’s Story
Phoebe's cleft lip and palate has never really much of a problem for her - she has embraced all that she was born with, and has pursued her love of drama and the performing arts since the age of 7.
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Children & Young People's Stories | Parent Stories | Parents | Young People |
Awareness Week 2018: Shirley-ann and Beth’s story
Speaking to Beth, now ten-years-old, it’s clear that being born with a cleft has not held her back. She speaks cheerfully about school and is excited to tell her story. “I’m fine to talk about it at school if people ask,” she explains. “I don’t worry about explaining everything. I just tell them ‘this is something I was born with’.”
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Awareness Week 2018: Q&A with Kenny
Looking back at my own experiences, having had a lot of speech therapy myself, I can see the benefit that that’s had for me in being able to communicate and feel much more confident about myself. It’s not until you can’t do these things that you really realise how much the general population kind of take that for granted and I wanted to be able to help other people to find their voice as well.
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Parents | Your Stories |
Awareness Week 2018: Katie’s Story
"One of the toughest things about having a child with cleft is knowing that when they are under one year old you will have to take them into a hospital to have surgery. They will have to have general anaesthetic, to endure hours on the operating table..[i]t is a real challenge for you as a new parent, and something that we wouldn’t wish on anyone."
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Diagnosis | Feeding | Parent Stories | Your Stories |
Awareness Week 2018: Hannah’s Story
In the corner of the room with all the machines of tiny babies beeping, the nurses chatting in the background, the only people in the room are me and my amazing little boy.
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Diagnosis | Parent Stories | Your Stories |
Awareness Week 2018: Louise’s Story
My husband and close family were amazing and were such a good support network, but nothing could help with my worrying. I hated my pregnancy, hated everything about it. I couldn't get excited about anything...I was very worried what others were going to think and whether they would blame us. I couldn’t tell anyone how I truly felt as I didn't think anyone understood.
