Globally, 1 in every 700 children is born with a cleft. While surgery can take as little as 45 minutes and costs as little as $250, it is out of reach for many in the developing world. Smile Train is an organization that provides these children with the surgeries they need!
Brent and Brooke Hanke are two siblings who were born with cleft paletes, but were fortunate enough to have them fixed as young children. Now almost 20 years later Brooke has just finished her Bachelors at Cal State Fullerton in Communication Disorders and is about to start her Masters at Cal State San Marcos, specializing in cleft and craniofacial abnormalities. As a family we have been donating to this organization for years. Now the time has come where Brent and Brooke want to take the next step towards awareness and understanding of the behind the scene journey that takes place to supply these deserving children of cleft reconstructive surgeries.

We are raising money to go with the Smile Train organization to Peru June 6th to the 11th. On this journey we will be meeting with the children who we will be sponsoring to get their cleft lips or paletes reconstructed! We will be along for the whole ride. We will have the opportunity to learn about their history, scrub in on a surgery, and be with them post-operation! We will also be fortunate enough to meet with previous patients at their homes, who have recieved surgeries, and hear about their journey! We will meet with staff and surgeons from Smile Train to hear about their future plans of expansion.

Thank you for reading about our story. If you are not in the place to donate, prayers are greatly appreciated as we embark on this journey!