The Smile Train

Dr Ian Lane is raising funds for the Smile Train which is a charity focused on solving a single problem: cleft lip and palate.

Cleft lip and palate is the number one birth defect in most developing countries. 165,000 babies are born every year in developing countries with a cleft lip and/or palate, which is a gaping hole in the lip and/or roof of the mouth. Today, the backlog of unrepaired clefts in the world is millions, with over 900,000 in India alone, who have little or no chance of receiving corrective surgery.

The ‘cure’ for clefts is a simple, quick, inexpensive surgery that can completely solve the problem. This ‘cure’ is routinely treated in all developed countries where every baby born with a cleft automatically received cleft surgery a few months later and leads a completely normal life.

In developing countries the vast majority of children born with clefts never receive surgery and the only reason for this is because they are poor and medical aid has a cost.

Ian’s fundraising challenge is called the Etape du Tour and runs across 4 very large mountains in the Pyrenees – It is part of the Tour De France and is taking place July 2012.

To make a donation, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/queensway-ian

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