On March 28, members of Operation Smile at ISU had the pleasure of meeting with Patricia Simon, author of a series of children’s books bringing awareness to cleft lip/palate. Simon’s first book was titled Smile with Simon. It is a story about a girl named Patty who was born with a cleft lip. Patty befriends a bird named Simon, who is like Patty in that he was born with a break in his beak. The goal of the book series is to inspire children, especially those with cleft lip/palate.
Simon herself was born with a cleft lip and palate. When she was a child, cleft lip/palate was not as accepted as it is now. Her family has no baby photos of her that show her face; as a baby, Simon’s face was always covered in photographs. Simon expressed how hard it was to receive proper treatment as a child because many professionals were unfamiliar with cleft lip/palate. Although she had her cleft lip and palate surgically repaired as a toddler, growing up was hard, and she was treated differently by some peers. Luckily, Simon received love and support from her family, and she went on to become a successful labor and delivery nurse.
Later in life, as an adult, Patricia experienced a medical emergency, which required surgery to her palate. After seeking help from multiple providers, Patricia eventually connected with the University of Illinois-Chicago Craniofacial Center. Her experiences with this craniofacial team led her to start writing the Smile with Simon books. As a patient at the center, she met many children receiving treatment for craniofacial differences, and she noticed a lack of children’s literature for individuals like them. Smile with Simon was meant to fill this gap in children’s literature and encourage others to be proud of who they are despite their differences. Because speech-language pathologists often work with individuals with cleft lip/palate, Simon donated 50 of her books to Operation Smile and the ISU Speech and Hearing Clinic. The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the students of Operation Smile at ISU are grateful for Simon’s donation and her willingness to share her story. We are certain these books will make a positive impact in the lives of children with cleft lip/palate.
Are you interested in joining Operation Smile at ISU? Operation Smile is a registered student organization on campus for students that want to learn more about cleft lip/palate while participating in fundraising opportunities to provide surgical care for children. To learn more about this organization and the date of our next meeting, find us on Instagram. You can also email our current Secretary, Anjali Mutholam at aamutho@ilstu.edu.
