Smile Train Choirs: Hearing is Believing
Six videos of children’s lives being changed one song — and one smile — at a time
The Choir That Started It All: Coro FISULAB, Colombia
A few years ago, Dr Pilar Echeverri, head of Smile Train partner FISULAB in Bogotá, was looking for ways to better engage her centre’s speech therapy patients and bring more in. She hit on an idea to do something that no one had ever tried before: Form a choir made exclusively of children with clefts. The result forever changed the lives of her patients and is revolutionising cleft speech therapy the world over.
Elizabeth, Colombia
Elizabeth loved to sing in church as a little girl, but soon stopped because her cleft made her feel too embarrassed. Now, she says when she sings with the choir at Fundacion Fábrica de Sonrisas in Barranquilla, “I feel big, I feel powerful”.
“The Choir of the Future”: Coro Notti, Argentina
Mariano Peralta was already an accomplished conductor when he accepted what he knew would be his greatest challenge yet: directing the choir at Smile Train partner Hospital Notti in Mendoza. Not only would he have to teach children with clefts how to sing, he would also need to help them feel prepared to do something they believed they could never do — raise their voices in public. What Mariano didn’t know was that his students would teach him more about love and resilience than he ever imagined possible.
Ana Beatriz, Brazil
When Ana Beatriz first came to Beija Flor Association in Fortaleza, she had a hole in the roof of her mouth that prevented her from forming certain sounds and going to school in peace. She was very private, very emotional, and cried all the time. Now, thanks to free surgeries, dental treatment, and speech therapy, “Bia” speaks clearly and loves to sing and dance with her friends in the choir.
Amelie, Chile
Before joining the choir at Fundacion Gantz in Santiago, Amelie sang all the time… in her room, for her stuffed animals. Her great-grandparents always asked her to sing for them, but she felt so ashamed that she would only sing a short verse or two before retreating back to the safety of her room. Now, Amelie says her safe space is on stage, singing and dancing with her friends.
A Mother’s Perspective: Lucas and Patricia, Brazil
When Lucas was born with a cleft, his mother, Patricia, worried he would never speak clearly or make friends. Undergoing four cleft surgeries before he started first grade helped him eat and breathe, but he still struggled to speak. He could barely look at the other children when he started school, let alone approach them. But now, as a member of Smile Train partner Saúde Criança’s choir in Rio, both he and his mother’s dreams for his life are coming true.
Help empower more children with clefts to raise their voices and surpass every obstacle.