I am 1 in 600.

I am 1 in 600. And I believe that every cleft-affected person in this world deserves the opportunity to survive and thrive as I have.

In 1994, I was born with a cleft lip and palate, which means that my entire lip and the roof of my mouth did not fuse during fetal development. Since then, I have had 30 years of life-saving care and treatment which has included 15+ surgeries, orthodontic care, ENT care, and psychosocial and speech therapy. For every year of care I have had, millions of others have gone without. In honor of turning 30 this year, I hope to help at least 30 cleft-affected people around the world get the life-saving surgeries and follow-up treatment they need, and I need your help to do so.

You maPictured with Sandy and Lucy from my incredible cleft team at NYU. Every child deserves the consistent, patient-centered, and nurturing care they gave me, 365 days a year.y have heard the adage "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Smile Train was founded with the understanding that empowering local healthcare professionals with education, training, and resources, as well as the opportunity to train others in turn, would strengthen local health systems and make high-quality cleft care accessible 365 days a year. Since its first surgery in 1999, Smile Train has brought life-saving cleft surgeries to more than 1.5 million people across 70+ countries — more than every other cleft-focused INGO combined.

Advocating on Capitol Hill for the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, or "ELSA." Pictured here with Sen. Dick Blumenthal (CT).

I am part of Smile Train's Young Leadership Circle (YLC), a group of young professionals committed to furthering Smile Train’s cause. As a YLC member, I am able to fundraise for Smile Train and spread awareness about this amazing organization that not only impacts countless cleft-affected people around the world but has also deeply impacted me and other cleft-affected people in the US. 

I know I and other cleft-affected people around the world are grateful for your support. I hope you will consider donating whatever amount you are able to my campaign, and sharing with your networks to help me reach my goal. Together, we can change the world one smile at a time. :)

I had the opportunity to present at Smile Train's 2024 CleftCon event in Houston, Texas, where I spoke about my advocacy efforts for people with clefts! See video below.