A “Cleft Family Runway Show” was held by the NCF on the 10th March 2022. Jian Man Shu, a Taiwanese actress was the ambassador of this event. “Cleft children were born with congenital anomalies. But with your love and support they can find their smiles again”, Jian Man Shu shared.

Couples who are expecting their newborn babies must be very excited. But if you were informed that your upcoming babies might be unhealthy, what would you do?

Sheng, a 4-year-oldboy with cleft lip and palate, has undergone surgery 4 times. “It is not the cleft itself that we are afraid of but the ignorance around it”, Sheng’s mom told us. Even though Sheng’s mom had experience in neonatal care, she was still overwhelmed when Sheng was born. “I thought it wouldn’t be any problem to take care of Sheng, since he has 2 older sisters. But having a cleft baby is indeed something else entirely. I was even struggling to bottle-feed him”, Sheng’s mom shared.

The ‘NCF Supportive group’ formed by the NCF cleft families provided instant online assistance as they heard about the difficulties of Sheng’s mom. “All of my problems were solved with their help, and now I want to be the person to bless others with my experiences.” Sheng’s mom became the first NCF Respite Care Aide in Taitung– a remote city ineastern Taiwan. Sheng’s mom was hopeful that with her help, more cleft children’s and their families’ lives could be changed for the better.