News and Stories

Billy tells his story of growing up in the 90s with cleft, and finding CLAPA as an adult.

Kevin and Sanjana share their journey from finding out their son Arin would be born with a cleft.

Megan has a unique place in CLAPA’s rebranding story – as both a member of the creative brand team and our own community.

Kazzi talks about growing up with a cleft - after being adopted from Mother Teresa's orphanage in Calcutta - and finding CLAPA.

Two Januarys ago, Ben started running - and participated in his first Ironman triathlon last September, raising more than £3,300 for CLAPA.

With an NHS dentist “impossible” to find, Mike missed out on years of dental treatment – and is now facing expensive bills to get his teeth sorted.

“I was in absolute agony with an horrendous tooth infection and couldn’t get anyone to treat me."

Thomas, a member of CLAPA's Children and Young People's Council (CYPC), performed in this year's BBC Children in Need Choir - live to a studio audience and millions of television viewers.

“When they look in my mouth, I usually get the wide-eyed look of horror and sharp intake of breath. And then they say, ‘you're a complicated case’.”

After a lifetime of poor dental provision from the NHS, Claudia said she's been forced to seek private treatment to save her teeth.

“They said it’s really important with my cleft to have a regular dentist, but finding one near where I live has been so difficult.”

Anne had decades of poor NHS dental treatment, which ignored care of her cleft and gums, and resulted in painful gum disease.