News and Stories

“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.

Supporting CLAPA from across the pond, Finlay Mathias has completed the Ironman 70.3 Washington Tri Cities challenge in the US.

After searching on an online game for a mouth that matched her own, ten-year-old Zoe and mum Shelley wrote to the company requesting a cleft lip option – and they swiftly obliged.

After running an epic 10 fundraising marathons in 10 days – wearing a 10 kg weighted vest – Pete has donated a tenth of his proceeds to CLAPA. 

Somerset cricketer Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been raising awareness for cleft, after he and his wife Melissa Avison found out their son, Dougie, had a cleft lip and palate at their 20-week pregnancy scan.

The Cleft Development Group (CDG) has representatives from all NHS Cleft Teams in the UK. Its purpose is to ensure the highest quality of cleft care for all patients who need it. CLAPA supports the CDG with its Patient Engagement Group (PEG) to ensure the voice of the cleft community is heard in CDG meetings.

Bronwen, an adult born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, shared her story with CLAPA.