Northern Cleft Foundation - Giving Smiles for Life

NCF Outreach 2017

A team of nearly 60 went to Nagpur in India on our 9th Outreach.

NCF Outreach 2016

Part of the joy each year is seeing the children operated on last year.

A few words on our work

Dr George Teturswamy, founder of the NCF, talks about the Charity's work.

NCF Outreaches 2014/5

Three Outreaches. Our first Masterclass. And our 1000th smile.

Twinkle

Life changing stories

One of the great delights of being part of the NCF team is the joy of seeing children operated on in previous years return to clinic; often this is because they have had corrective cleft lip surgery and are coming back for a palate repair but sometimes parents bring their children back just so that […]

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Runali Bagde

Life changing stories

Five month old, Runali, was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Dad said, “I give the team number one status for the work done here. Nothing can be improved on. We felt reassured because everyone went about their work so efficiently and calmly.”

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Update on Rehan

Life changing stories

It was lovely to catch up with Rehan whose cleft lip was corrected in 2015. Now three years old, he returned to have his cleft palate repaired this year and for advice on his speech.

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Ishant

Life changing stories

Ishant had a lateral cleft, which meant, unusually, the cleft affected the side of her mouth and cheek, rather than the lip or palate. She never stopped smiling though.

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Update on Pappu

Life changing stories

We last saw Pappu in 2016 – at that time his story was one of isolation and stigmatisation because of his inability to communicate with his peers and even his teachers. What a difference a year makes!

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Pappu

Life changing stories

“I feel very sad” Pappu says, his eyes full of tears. The unfairness is that because of poverty, Pappu’s palate wasn’t repaired much earlier, ideally before he had begun to talk.

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Update on Lucky

Life changing stories

Last year we met Lucky – one of twins, who had his cleft lip repaired by the team in January 2015. He was much smaller than his brother then, but now he has caught up and is a real character, full of mischief and fun – it is a joy to see him again. He […]

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Lomesh

Life changing stories

When Lomesh was born with a cleft lip and palate it was accepted as fate. The family could not afford to seek medical help, so were grateful to hear about the outreach.

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Sameer

Life changing stories

Sameer’s Mum is thrilled with the result of his surgery. Thank you to the team”, she says, “it is wonderful work.”

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Vaishnali Padame

Life changing stories

Vaishnali was just 3kg in weight at 3 months of age. Born with a wide cleft lip and palate she had struggled to feed since birth. Her operations will give her the best possible chance to thrive and develop.

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Lucky

Life changing stories

Deeply upset by the stigmatization from other villagers who said she was the cause of Lucky’s problems, his Mum was keen to seek help to correct her son’s cleft lip and palate.

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Aditya

Life changing stories

Aditya’s Mum told us that her dream was to see her son grow to be healthy and happy and to be a doctor. Repairing his palate will help him to thrive and to develop normal speech.

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Kushi

Life changing stories

Kushi has travelled 100km with her Mum to be treated a second time by the NCF. Her second operation will correct her palate and provide valuable speech therapy.

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Deepak

Life changing stories

Deepak’s parents describe being “scared” that he had been born with such a defect – they were concerned that it was somehow their fault and that they had done something to invite being “cursed”.

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Dyneshwari

Life changing stories

Dyneshwari has a wonderful grin that lights up her face – it is easier for her to express her personality now because of the cleft lip surgery she had in 2013. She has come back to us for a repair to her cleft palate.

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Ashiket

Life changing stories

Local doctors refused to operate on Ashiket’s palate because he was also born with a congenital heart condition – despite the fact it had been treated. With NCF help he now has a chance of a brighter future…

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Ganesh

Life changing stories

Ganesh was born with a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate causing him feeding problems from birth and making his speech unintelligible. His family travelled almost 200 miles to access NCF free corrective surgery they could never have afforded for him.

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Sania

Life changing stories

Closing the defect in Sania’s palate will enable her to live a life free of the complications. In the UK this would have been carried out by the NHS but geography and economics mean this does not always happen in India.

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Anand & Sandeep – Video

Life changing stories

In September 2013 our team travelled to Aurangabad, India to work with Dr Hedgewar Hospital and Sewa International. This wonderful documentary directed by Nitin Makasare tells the stories of Anand & Sandeep who we were privileged to help.

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A significant number of children in India are born with a cleft lip and palate deformity. Too poor to access medical help, many are left unable to eat or speak properly. The physical, psychological and social implications of being born with a cleft lip and palate cannot be underestimated

By making a donation to the Northern Cleft Foundation, you will help us to provide free corrective surgery to a child born with a cleft lip and palate deformity. Each operation, costing on average just £200, has a hugely positive impact on each child treated.

Outreaches are held in India, in host hospitals, once a year. Our foundation funds travel expenses for families and their children living as far as 200km away, enabling those excluded by poverty the chance of a brighter future.

We have given over 1500 children a smile for life - with your help we can keep changing lives.

TEXT NNCF37 £2/£5/£10 to 70070

Help to change a life

Just £200 provides FREE LIFE CHANGING CLEFT SURGERY for an underprivileged child.

Give a child hope

This operation has changed her life - will you GIVE HOPE TO A CHILD just like her?

UK surgical expertise

With your help our team of medical specialists can continue to change children's lives

Dedicated volunteers

All give freely of their time and expertise to ensure delivery of the best possible care