Former Miss Universe Catriona Gray is staunchly promoting the welfare of children who are born with cleft, going as far as Vietnam to advance her cause.
Gray is spreading awareness on the treatment for cleft as can be seen in her Instagram page today, June 30, where she shared photos of children born with cleft.
“Did you know 1 out of 500 babies is born with a cleft? It is an incredibly stigmatized condition, one that not only affects a child’s ability to breathe, speak and eat – but can also affect their self esteem and confidence. The good news is – there is treatment for cleft,” she said.
Gray is happy to support Smile Train founded in 1999 and which has since become the world’s leading cleft charity.
“@smiletrainvietnam is doing amazing work, helping those affected by cleft all over the country, with a milestone of 25,000 surgeries this year – that’s 25,000 lives changed for the better,” the beauty queen said. “[So] that children would have a smile on their face.”
In her visit to Vietnam, Gray was able to meet “with a handful of @smiletrain beneficiaries who are to undergo surgery, have their check ups or orthodontic work. The treatments they receive are free.”
She encourages everyone who knows any individual or child with untreated cleft to refer them to email vietnam@smiletrain.org.
Gray had her first stop at Mý Thien Hospital, one of the sixteen hospital partners of Smile Train Vietnam, as per her Instagram page yesterday, June 29.
“Here, patients come from both locally and hundreds of kilometers away to receive free, comprehensive and complete cleft care,” she said. AP/JB
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