Never Giving Up: An Adult Cleft Journey Through 25+ Surgeries, Advocacy, and Hope
Our Forever Smiles with Laura Arroyo · Laura Arroyo
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Show Notes
In this deeply personal and eye-opening episode of Our Forever Smiles, Laura welcomes returning guest Corinne for her third appearance on the podcast. Born with a cleft lip and palate, Corinne shares her lifelong journey through more than 30 surgeries, including repeated palate repair failures, innovative fat grafting procedures, and the emotional toll of navigating cleft care into adulthood.
Together, Laura and Corinne discuss acid reflux as a lesser-known contributor to palatal repair failure, the trauma many adults carry from childhood surgeries, parenting while undergoing medical procedures, and why reframing "failure" as partial success can be life-changing. Corinne also provides updates on the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA), her advocacy work with Smile Train, and what cleft families and adults can do to navigate insurance, language, and long-term care.
This episode is a must-listen for cleft parents, adults with cleft lip and palate, advocates, and anyone seeking hope, validation, and honest conversation about what the cleft journey can look like beyond childhood.
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