'Project Smile' is a portrait program that I am excited to share with you! My inspiration for this program is my son Collin, who was born with a unilateral incomplete cleft lip in 2006. At 3 months old, Collin had a very successful surgery to repair his lip! He is a thriving and very active little boy who brings a smile to our face every day! Since finding out about his birth defect during my pregnancy, I knew that God wanted me to use my photography to help other parents capture the beauty of their little ones precious smile, before and after their repair! If you, or someone you know, has a child with a cleft lip, I would be honored to give you two complimentary portraits sessions - one session before surgery and one session after, and also a complimentary portrait package.

Here is some informative information you may find useful (exert from Lucille Stanford Hospital web site):

Cleft Lip / Cleft Palate


What are cleft lip and cleft palate?
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth abnormalities of the mouth and lip. Cleft lip affects about 13,600 births each year and cleft palate affects about one in every 2,000 births. These abnormalities occur less frequently among African-Americans. Cleft lip and cleft palate occur early in pregnancy when the sides of the lip and the roof of the mouth do not fuse together as they should. A child can have cleft lip, cleft palate, or both. Cleft lip and cleft palate together are more common in boys. It is also important to know that most babies born with a cleft are otherwise healthy with no other birth abnormalities.

cleft palate
Cleft palate occurs when the roof of the mouth does not completely close, leaving an opening that can extend into the nasal cavity. The cleft may involve either side of the palate. It can extend from the front of the mouth (hard palate) to the throat (soft palate). Often the cleft will also include the lip. Cleft palate is not as noticeable as cleft lip because it is inside the mouth. It may be the only abnormality in the child, or it may be associated with cleft lip or other syndromes. In many cases, other family members have also had a cleft palate at birth.
cleft lip
Cleft lip is an abnormality in which the lip does not completely form during fetal development. The degree of the cleft lip can vary greatly, from mild (notching of the lip) to severe (large opening from the lip up through the nose). As a parent, it may be stressful to adjust to the obvious abnormality of the face, as it can be very noticeable.There are different names given to the cleft lip according to its location and how much of the lip is involved. A cleft on one side of the lip that does not extend into the nose is called unilateral incomplete. A cleft on one side of the lip that extends into the nose is called unilateral complete. A cleft that involves both sides of the lip and extends into and involves the nose is called bilateral complete.
Cleft lip and cleft palate may occur together in an infant, or separately. The degree of the abnormality of both cleft lip and cleft palate can vary greatly. The most common early problem associated with these abnormalities is feeding your baby.

What causes cleft lip and cleft palate?
The exact cause of cleft lip and cleft palate is not completely understood. Cleft lip and/or cleft palate are caused by multiple genes inherited from both parents, as well as environmental factors that scientists do not yet fully understand. When a combination of genes and environmental factors cause a condition, the inheritance is called "multifactorial" (many factors contribute to the cause). Because genes are involved, the chance for a cleft lip and/or cleft palate to happen again in a family is increased, depending on how many people in the family have a cleft lip and/or cleft palate. If parents without clefts have a baby with a cleft, the chance for them to have another baby with a cleft ranges from 2 to 8 percent. If a parent has a cleft, but no children have a cleft, the chance to have a baby with a cleft is 4 to 6 percent. If a parent and a child have a cleft, the chance is even greater for a future child to be born with a cleft. Genetic consultation is suggested.