Behind the Smile

I was born with a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate and I have finished my cleft journey at the age of 22. This journey required over 30 operations, 9 years of orthodontics and 1000+ appointments.

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Growing up, I had an extremely difficult time in school as I was seen as different to everyone else. As a result, I was bullied both physically and verbally. In year 8, I dropped out of school to be home schooled because the negative actions of others manifested as feelings of depression and anxiety, I locked myself away afraid of the judgement of others. 

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I returned to mainstream school in year 10 with a new mindset, one that denied bullies the chance to control my life. A year later, I came to the realisation that I was not the only one in this world with a cleft. 

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I also came to the understanding that there were cleft children in the developing world that did not receive vital surgery or care and thus live a life of isolation and suffering.

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In 2013, Freestyle 4 Smile was created to transform cleft lives, worldwide. Since inception, F4S has raised global awareness for cleft, helped fund surgery with Smile Train and provided support to the cleft community.

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I now offer my services as an inspirational speaker to both schools and businesses to promote a positive approach in day-to-day life, personally and professionally.