Donate to Run for Smile and Help Children Born with Cleft Lips
Funds raised will be used to help underprivileged children across China with cleft lips or cleft palates. Make an online donation to help the cause.
Run for Smile, a charity run taking place on March 1, aims to raise awareness and money for children across China who were born with cleft lips and cleft palates, especially those born in the rural regions where medical resources are scarce.
Organized by Operation Smile China Medical Mission, the 10K charity run is a new initiative to support the group's work in providing free surgery to disadvantaged children born with the condition. Cleft lips and cleft palates are one of the most common birth defects in China.
Tsang Chun-kit, an ambassador for Run for Smile, became involved because he was born with a cleft lip himself. Despite having surgery when he was an infant, it took Tsang 10 years of speech therapy to speak clearly: "I am fortunate as there are enough resources and awareness in Hong Kong," he said.
"In the mainland, especially in more backward areas like Yunnan, there are no medical know-how and resources to help the children," Tsang says. "Without proper treatment, children with the condition hide in their homes and will not be able to grow up normally. A simple operation makes a big difference."