Every story has the power to make someone feel less alone.
By sharing your experience of cleft for Awareness Week, you can help raise awareness, challenge misconceptions and support others on a similar journey.
Use the form below to share your story or selfies. You can share photos with captions, a written story, or both – it’s up to you!
Not sure where to start? Check out these prompts to help you get going.
Prompts to help you share your story
- Think about why you want to share your story. Do you want to celebrate progress, be honest about the hard parts, or help others understand cleft better? Try starting your story with, ‘I want to share this because…‘ and see where it takes you.
- What’s the one moment you’ll always remember? From diagnosis to operations to comments from others, the cleft journey is full of defining moments. What did you notice, feel and think back then, and what do you know now?
- What is something people don’t understand about cleft? Have you had to correct other people’s assumptions or fight to get the care or support you need?
- What advice would you give to your younger self? What have you learned from your cleft journey?
- What are your hopes for the future? What changes would you like to see to the world to make it a kinder place for people affected by cleft?