Finn’s story

Hi! My name is Finn. I’m 14 years old and I live in Chicago. I was born with a cleft lip and palate. I remember the first time I realized I had a cleft. I was four years old, and people kept asking what the squiggly lines under my nose were. At the time, I didn’t know, so I ended up telling the other kids that they were just boogers.

That night, I had a long talk with my mom about what a cleft was and why kids were asking me those questions. Instead of feeling scared, I felt happy. I thought of my cleft as something special, not an insecurity. The next day, I went into class and told everyone about it, and they all thought it was cool too. Sometimes kids are mean to me about my cleft, but it doesn’t bother me. I’ve had five surgeries so far, and they’re fun to me because each surgery feels like adding a new piece to my cleft story.

Why am I making this nonprofit? I’m creating it because I want families affected by clefts to have more support and a better understanding of what a cleft is. We help families connect with others and learn more about cleft care. Families can also receive our cleft boxes, which are filled with items that help families with clefts. In addition, we help families find cleft doctors in Chicago so they can get the best care possible.

Thank you for checking out Cleft Connect, and have a great day!