Hello everyone! As many of you know, I was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, meaning that I was born with large openings that severely disconnected my upper lip, nose, and the roof of my mouth. To correct my facial differences, I have had 11 surgeries in my lifetime. My most recent surgery, a cleft rhinoplasty, took place in August 2021. Before I received my rhinoplasty surgery, my nasal breathing was only operating at a mere 20% functionality due to a severe nasal septum deviation. Now, after only seven months from receiving that life-changing surgery, I will be running my first marathon.

Just like me, there are countless children worldwide living with life-altering cleft conditions. However, unfortunately, many of them live in developing countries where receiving any surgical procedure to correct their conditions is a rarity. In order to provide a remedy to this issue, Operation Smile has launched a group initiative called Miles for Smiles, which is a group of Operation Smile student volunteers, staff members, and adult supporters who are all running an event in the Yuengling Shamrock Weekend to raise money to finance cleft surgeries.

As someone who has been a cleft ambassador for Operation Smile for almost five years, I can attest first-hand to how amazing of an organization Operation Smile is. I have had the opportunity to share my cleft story at dozens of Operation Smile events with thousands of volunteers worldwide. So, it seems only natural that I give back to Operation Smile after all they have done for me.

I have set a personal fundraising goal of $10,000 which would pay for 42 cleft surgeries, as each surgery costs $240 to perform. Additionally, a donation to my fundraiser is tax-deductible! Thank you for any consideration of donating to my fundraiser. Together we can change the lives of every child born with severe facial differences worldwide!

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March 9th Update: Hello everyone! I am thrilled to announce that Wavy News 10 has published an article detailing my story about running the 2022 Shamrock Marathon to raise money for Operation Smile! Here is the link to the article: https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/virginia-beach/vb-teen-to-run-shamrock-marathon-to-raise-money-for-operation-smile/

March 11th Update: Hello again, everyone! This morning Wavy News 10 covered my story as their "Good News for a Good Morning" Friday morning story! I am elated to feel the flood of support and love from loved ones and total strangers who watched my story! Here is the link to the news coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14IdQoLHe8&t=1s