Author Archives: Development

“Miracle Baby.” That has been Elena’s nickname for 19 years, since her mother Laura was pregnant with her. A pregnancy rife with early complications resulted in weekly ultrasounds to monitor Elena’s growth and development and it was during one of those scans that Laura and Elena’s father were informed that

On May 30, Doctor Mohammad Mazaheri (Dr. Mo) passed away, but his influence on the Clinic endures. Dr. Mo joined the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic in 1952 as a resident in maxillofacial prosthetics and stayed until his retirement over 50 years later. He worked tirelessly to provide the very best

Tony was born in Honduras with craniofacial and lower limb differences. At nine months old, Cathy was able to bring him to the United States to receive care for his differences. Cathy works with a program that brings children to the States for care. Tony originally stayed with a family

This story was originally published in the Spring Newsletter 2025 Smile Connection Grateful For Two Smiles to Treasure Kaitlyn Bain vividly recalls the day her unborn child received a surprising diagnosis. She visited May-Grant Obstetrics & Gynecology for her 20-week anatomy scan, anticipating discovering her baby’s gender, only to grow

Embracing Her Smiles: A dad’s hope for his daughter’s future First-time father Nathan Black had no idea what parenting a baby would be like. His daughter, AvaLyn, was due to arrive in April of 2022, and all of the usual anticipation and excitement of the journey to parenthood was in

Sandy was born with a cleft palate that was undiagnosed for many years. When her daughter, Kim, was born with a rare genetic difference, also undiagnosed for many years, Sandy decided it would be her life’s work to advocate for her daughter and support other parents to do the same.

Lander was like most kids; curious, friendly, and caring. At seven years old, his pediatric dentist shared he had a “severe overjet.” His front teeth jetted out far enough that they would always be exposed. Mom and Dad knew something was different, but a diagnosis changes everything. With top teeth

Mark Fetterman lives near our Clinic and supports our work because he knows the positive impact we have in the lives of our patients. Read his inspiring story about how he actively chose to not let his cleft define his future. I was born in 1971 in Wilmington, Delaware with

Leah was born with Down Syndrome. And it was a surprise to her parents. All they want is for her to be happy, but she really struggled to eat as a baby. Leah could nurse, but bottles didn’t work and a pacifier was never comforting. Imagine not being able to

Team Tuesdays can be stressful with so many patients and their families visiting the Clinic on the same day. Sometimes our longtime volunteer, Joni, will bring Nola to visit with patients. Nola is a King Charles Spaniel with the perfect disposition to bring calming joy on a busy day. Joni

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