The creation of Spokane Smiles began from a personal experience of mine.  When I found out I was going to have a cleft affected child, I didn't know where to turn.  My pursuit for knowledge finally led me to websites and medical professionals who had some answers to my questions. I also met families who were willing to share their experiences with me.

I began to wonder what other families did when they learned their child would be born with this birth defect?  Did they have to fumble through names, numbers and websites to get the information and support they needed?  I thought about how much I wanted to talk to someone when we first found out our child had a birth defect, yet I had nobody to reach out to who could possibly understand the despair we felt.  It was after we met with a local family, sharing our fears and concerns, when I felt that things just might be alright.   I began to realize there was an important piece missing from the local cleft team approach; the connection to other families facing similar challenges. After traveling to Chicago to a CleftAdvocate Parent Connections Conference, I decided to take on the challenge of building a community network of families who could be a support for each other as well as new families of cleft affected children in the Spokane area. 

The Mission of Spokane Smiles is to offer families, whose lives have been touched by cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial anomalies, the following:

• Encouragement- Creating a network of families who have personal experience with issues associated with cleft lip and palate.  These families help to provide a safe haven for parents and children to ask questions, express feelings and to show emotions in times of need and fear. 
• Education-  Ensuring that parents know that there is an established Cleft Team in the Spokane area and putting them in touch with the local Cleft Coordinator.  Providing literature about cleft lip and palate and Spokane Smiles to new parents and local medical providers. 
• Empowerment-  Giving parents and children the confidence and tools they need to advocate for the best care and treatments that are offered by the medical community.