Utilise one of the world's most iconic symbols

to recreate everlasting
smiles for children with cleft lips.

Globally, for every 1,000 live births, 1.41 babies are born with orofacial clefts, totaling nearly 195,000 cleft births each year. Children under 5 with clefts face significant nutritional challenges, they are 2.15 times more likely to be underweight and at risk of growth failure compared to the general population of children under 5.

The unique anatomy of the lip and/or palate makes breastfeeding and bottle-feeding difficult, affecting muscle coordination for swallowing and increasing the risk of food inhalation and aspiration pneumonia.

In 2020, nearly 600,000 children under 5 were living with clefts, with the highest rates found in North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Central and South Asia.

Sources from : Delage B, Stieber E, Sheeran P. Prevalence of malnutrition among children at primary cleft surgery: A cross-sectional analysis of a global database. J Glob Health. 2022 Feb 26;12:04012. doi: 10.7189/jogh.12.04012. PMID: 35265326; PMCID: PMC8874895.

Babies with clefts may struggle to feed because they cannot create suction, which can lead to choking or pneumonia. Those with a cleft palate often require special bottles and feeding techniques, whether or not they also have a cleft lip. Breastfeeding and using regular bottles are usually not possible, as a baby with a cleft palate cannot generate the suction needed to extract milk.

Feeding Challenges for Babies with Cleft Palate

depositphotos_661114616-stock-photo-baby-cleft-lip-milk-mother.jpg.webp

Sources from : Ueki S, Fujita A, Kumagai Y, Hirai Y, Tashiro E, Miyata J. Bottle-feeding techniques for children with cleft lip and palate experiencing feeding difficulties. Int J Nurs Sci. 2022 Dec 21;10(1):82-88. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2022.12.004. PMID: 36860720; PMCID: PMC9969066.

Feeding Challenges for Babies with Cleft Palate

Speech Challenges in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate

Children with a cleft lip may struggle to produce certain speech sounds, like "p" or "b," due to inadequate lip closure and strength. Those with a cleft palate may have difficulty speaking clearly because their mouths cannot create all the necessary sounds. They may also experience challenges with articulation (pronouncing words correctly) and fluency (stuttering).

Sources from : Better Speech. https://www.betterspeech.com/post/speech-therapy-cleft-palate

My thought and my inspiration

Hi, I’m Sophie Tung! My dad is a huge fan of "The Rolling Stones". When I was four, our kindergarten held a fun dress-up event, and the teacher asked everyone to showcase their favorite music look. My dad crafted a "Rolling Tung" guitar for me and chose the coolest Rolling Stones band t-shirt. That day, I felt like a rock star!

The 'tongue-and-lips' image has stayed with me ever since.

As I grew up, I realized it’s one of the most popular band t-shirts in the world. I see this shirt everywhere, worn by people of all nationalities. It’s found in stores all around the globe. No other 'lips' logo is as famous or loved as this one!

My ‘Rolling Tung’ moment when I was kid

Every action matters—
Let’s sprinkle kindness and create
rocking smiles together!

Add paragraph text. Click “Edit Text” to update the font, size and more. To change and reuse text themes, go to Site Styles.

One day, my mother told me about a colleague whose baby was born with a cleft lip, and how the surgeries nearly wiped out their savings. Hearing this made me feel incredibly sad. As I looked into it, I learned that this is a widespread issue, especially in Asia. Many children with cleft lips are viewed as bad luck, and their families often can’t afford the surgeries they need, leading to tragic outcomes like abandonment.

This 'lips' logo suddenly came to mind.
What if we could use this iconic t-shirt to raise awareness and encourage donations for these children? With support, they could receive the medical care they need to improve their lives.

(Donation 1) Buy a T-Shirt, Change a Life: Your Purchase Donates!

When you purchase this t-shirt from the CSR site, an additional $3 will automatically be donated to an organization that supports cleft lip surgeries.

What if we could produce a line of these iconic t-shirts with a fresh twist?

We could add a heart shape on the upper left of the 'tongue-and-lips' design, giving the shirt a meaningful new symbol of mended cleft lips, while also serving as a tool for donations.

(Donation 2) Inspire Giving: Scan to Share and Encourage Others!

Moreover, when you wear the t-shirt, people can scan this unique pattern with their phone camera, directing them to the same donation site. They can choose the amount they wish to contribute, and their donations will go directly to the surgery fund.

Surgery Fund Partners

My initial thought and donation methods

For children with clefts, the sooner they receive surgery, the better their future outcomes will be. However, many kids require multiple surgeries to repair their lips, which can place a heavy burden on families. This financial strain often leads some families to forgo necessary procedures.