The Smile Train

Last summer, on a number of daily commutes to my job in downtown Boston, I found myself staring at a poster that often appeared on the back and side of our MBTA buses. The poster contained a number of photos of babies, toddlers and young children who have cleft palate.

Now, I'm aware of cleft palate. Ever since I, too, was a young child, I was aware of cleft palate. Of course, time passes by. Other concerns and priorities come rushing in to fill my days and I quite honestly hadn't thought about cleft palate in probably years.

The young faces that fill The SmileTrain poster continued to creep into my thoughts, even when I wasn't confronted with the images on the poster.




And, I decided I would do some research on the organization and make a donation. And, I decided I wanted to make a regular donation. So, I now contribute $25.00 a month to The SmileTrain. I wish I could contribute $250.00 a month (the cost for the cleft surgery), and maybe someday I'll be able to do that. But, at least I know that at least one child a year will have this surgery due to my contributions. And, $50 (the balance of my annual contributions) is enough to cover the costs for the medications for one surgery.

According to the results of the myriad of questions I've answered to help form the profile for my OKCupid.com personals profile, one of my 'qualities' is that I'm less giving. This bothers me because I don't think it's true. I am selective about 'giving.' And, in a relationship, I can be very generous, but I also desire reciprocity. I don't think this makes me 'less giving.' In the end, the OKCupid.com calculations of responses to my answers to their questions are not the definitive analysis of my generosity.

And, I have to point out that it was the expression of this one little guy that just about broke my heart and convinced me to donate to The SmileTrain organization. Why? Well, when I looked at the faces of most of the other infants and toddlers, I could see they hadn't yet developed the concepts of the 'self' and the 'other,' in terms of how we begin to understand when people are looking at us and passing judgment. Yet, it was in the eyes of this young boy that I realized he knew he was different. He'd apparently begun to internalize what the world thought of his difference. A leap? Perhaps. But, I don't think a big one. And, being someone who is especially aware of how others perceive and judge other people, I figured if I could contribute to an organization that would help relieve one stigma through a relatively simple surgery, I'd definitely contribute.




And, ultimately, since if you know me at all, you know there's part of me that wishes that I had had the opportunity to be a dad. And, yes, I probably could have made that happen, but not in the way I had hoped. So instead, I look for opportunities to help my nieces and nephews and now, ways to help children of the world less fortunate than me and mine.

For more information on The Smile Train, click on the logo below. It'll take you to the site. You can check 'em out and do some research of your own. And, perhaps, you'll consider donating, too. And, if not, perhaps you've already found another cause (or causes) you, too, can contribute to.



Peace all.