Helping children with cleft lip and palate

Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common birth defects. One in 500 children is affected, even in Germany. While these children have the full support of the healthcare system here, in many other countries this is not the case. Children from poor families in developing countries often do not have access to qualified treatment. Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe comes to their aid, funding the surgeries and followup therapies they need. With success: In the first 20 years of our association's history since 2002, more than 70,000 surgeries were enabled, and with them new, happier lives for thousands of cleft children.

Without treatment, cleft children are severely impaired in their daily lives. They are often ostracized because of their appearance, and live on the margins of society with their families. Depending on the type and severity of the cleft, they face severe functional impairments. The children cannot swallow, eat or drink properly. As babies, they are often mal- and undernourished, making them susceptible to infectious diseases. In the worst case, their lives can be endangered as a result.

Your donation gives cleft children a chance to live healthy, happy lives.