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Your stories

Read stories from other adults and submit your own to share with the UK's cleft community.

In this section

Reading stories from other adults born with a cleft is one of the best ways to know that whatever you’re going through, you’re not alone.

You can browse stories below or share your own story through our simple form.

Latest stories

Browse the latest stories and interviews from UK adults people born with a cleft.
All adults' stories

Rich’s story

Firefighter Rich recently shared his story of growing up with a cleft in CLAPA’s latest Cleft Youth Magazine.

Maddie’s story

Maddie tells her story of dealing with bullies and learning to love her authentic self.

Carol and Anton’s story

CLAPA’s celebrity patron Carol Vorderman, and her brother Anton, discuss the lack of support for families affected by cleft before CLAPA, and the importance of raising awareness.

Charlotte’s story

Charlotte tells us about overcoming anxiety, embracing your differences and her career in theatre.

Share your story

You can share your story and photos through our simple form.

Before you get started, think about why you want to share your story – maybe you want to raise awareness; share any lessons learnt; or reassure people in a similar position that they’re not alone. Whatever your reason, try to make your message come across strongly in your story.

Prompts and questions

Not sure where to start in telling your story? The following questions are prompts to think about what to include in your story. You don’t need to answer all of them if you don’t want to – what’s important is your story includes what matters to you.

  • What were your experiences with surgery and treatment?
  • Were there any challenges you didn’t expect or you weren’t prepared for?
  • Do you talk to your friends about your cleft? How do they respond?
  • What is one piece of advice you wish you’d received when you were younger, or one thing you wish you’d known?