Caring for Cleft

Caring for Cleft

Brought to you by Transforming Cleft, Caring for Cleft tells stories of Comprehensive Cleft Care around the world.

Episodes

February 3, 2026 21 mins
Parent powered advocacy propels cleft care forward. In this episode we listen-in to the insights of three dedicated cleft professionals: Professor Youri Anastassov, Jana Angelova and Gareth Davies.    Together, they are supporting a vision where families, cleft professionals, and NGOs work together to effect change. Their inspiring stories point to the transformation of a generation of cleft patients in Bulgaria.
Mark as Played
COVID-19 has unleashed extraordinary disruption to the delivery of cleft care worldwide. In today’s episode, we explore how a diverse group of global cleft professionals is rallying toward seeing children and families receive the best care possible -- even amidst the ongoing pandemic.  Matt Fell (Cleft Charity, UK), Karen Goldshmied (Smile Train, Chile), Jayanth BS (ABMSS, India) and Neeti Daftari (Circle of Cleft Professional...
Mark as Played
Will my child be supported and accepted in our family? At school? In the community?  Beyond the immediate medical concerns of feeding and securing a safe and effective surgery, parents with a cleft-affected child worry about the long-term social, emotional and psychological implications of the condition. While progress has been made in some High-Income Countries (HICs), cleft psychosocial support isn’t often accessible in Low ...
Mark as Played
February 3, 2026 24 mins
In 1999, Transforming Faces was founded with a mission of delivering comprehensive care to children born with cleft lip and palate around the world. Twenty years later, we revisit our history with some of the organization's key stakeholders, including co-founders Jackie Elton and Jo Jamieson, longtime Executive Director, Esteban Lasso and local partner, Suraj Subramaniyan.
Mark as Played

Comprehensive Cleft Care professionals in Africa are innovators. Traditional volunteer outreach/mission models are being replaced – new systems are required.  

With skilled local surgeons in place, addressing the need for speech therapy in their cleft patients is an important challenge. A new generation of cleft teams embrace it! 

In part one of this two-part series, host Hugh Brewster sits down with four inspiri...

Mark as Played
February 3, 2026 15 mins
A shared experience for everyone with a cleft lip is standing out from their peers. Even after successful surgeries, a facial difference can remain. In this episode, we welcome James Partridge (OBE) from the UK, Indian surgeon Dr. Manu Prasad, and Julieta Perondi from Argentina to discuss the difficulties of living with a facial anomaly, as well as strategies that support families in seeing their children thrive. We note with sadne...
Mark as Played
Learn how a new training tool called the 3D Cleft Palate Simulator is transforming surgical results and improving the way surgeons are performing cleft palate repairs. In this episode, we speak with the creator of the simulator, Dr. Dale Podolsky, as well as Dr. Christopher Forrest, Division Head of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at SickKids Hospital. We also hear from Dr. Carlos Giugliano and Dr. Veronica Caller Farfan ...
Mark as Played
February 3, 2026 20 mins
Having a cleft can have a lasting impact. For our guests - Nang Ei Ei Phyu (Gift), Angelica Campos and Dr. Camila Caro - their unique cleft journeys drew them in to pursing careers in the cleft profession. Join Executive Director, Hugh Brewster, as we explore how the impact of cleft lip and palate at a young age has shaped the future of these inspiring comprehensive cleft care professionals.
Mark as Played
Children born with cleft often require speech therapy to learn to communicate clearly. In 2019, the first cohort of speech therapists will be graduating from a brand new undergraduate speech program in Ethiopia! Today, we hear from Dr. Mekonen Eshete and Berhane Abera at Yekatit 12 Hospital, Marci Rose from TAAAC, and two of the students themselves about this new program. Learn more at: transformingfaces.org
Mark as Played
20 years ago, treatment options for children born with cleft in a typical East African village were very limited. But over the past two decades, local health professionals have been growing new approaches to address the needs of children born with cleft lip and palate in Africa, and beyond. Today’s episode of Caring for Cleft focuses on an area of burgeoning hope and progress: the inspiring efforts of a growing number of surge...
Mark as Played
Historically, cleft in Madagascar was treated by foreign volunteers via a fly-in-fly-out surgical model.  An infant with a cold during the “mission” dates may be excluded from surgery for a year or more! Clinique Santé Plus, in partnership with Transforming Faces and USA-based NGO Smile Train, has built the first CCC centre in Antsirabe, Madagascar and is working to inspire change nationally. In this podcast, we discuss the fi...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.

    iHeartOlympics: The Latest

    Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

    Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

    The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.

    Betrayal Season 5

    Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.