Smile Train, an organization that supports care and resources for children affected by clefts, has helped make it possible for Rio Rancho, N.M., teen and cross-country runner Cody Sullivan to attend Fort Lewis College – his dream school – through the organization’s scholarship program.
Sullivan was born with a cleft palate and cleft lip, a congenital condition that can affect speech, language and hearing.
He has had five cleft-related surgeries, multiple gum grafts, several teeth pulled and endured braces for 11 years – all to treat his cleft lip and palate.
“It was pretty hard on my parents, being their first kid and having a cleft,” Sullivan said. “But I came from a very supportive and loving family, and through (my cleft-related experiences), I was able to find myself through sports. This led to me doing cross country. And now I’m here at Fort Lewis College, running for the college.”
The Smile Train scholarship offers one of four $5,000 scholarships to a select few cleft-affected applicants like Sullivan who have enrolled into a four-year college in the United States – but this is not the only form of support the organization offers.
Smile Train, which has been operating for over 25 years and is the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, according to it’s website, also supports surgery and other forms of essential care for children affected by clefts.
Sullivan, like many people with clefts, faced endless questions about his condition while growing up.
“It’s not something that everyone's familiar with, so it can be hard to explain, especially when you’re young,” Sullivan said. “And you know, when kids speak, (they say) what’s on their mind.”
Luckily, Sullivan said none of the reactions have been too harsh – but that hasn’t been true for everyone with a cleft.
“I have gotten lucky that I haven’t had any horrible interactions,” Sullivan said. “I do know some people who have had a much harder time.”
Sullivan and his mom came across the Smile Train scholarship while searching for ways to make school more affordable for Sullivan, because, as he said, “college isn’t cheap.”
“Through Smile Train and their scholarship, I’m able to actually attend the college of my dreams,” Sullivan said. “I’m so happy to be here, and through this (opportunity) I really hope to make an impact on the cross-country team and be a leader.”
Sullivan is majoring in integrative biology and minoring in business at Fort Lewis. When he graduates, he intends to study dentistry in graduate school to achieve his dream of helping other children with clefts.
Sullivan’s experiences growing up with a cleft, and discovering running through that, have shaped him into who he is today, he said.
“As I started to run, (I) started to become more comfortable with who I was,” Sullivan said.
“Not only did I find leadership, but I found great empathy for others, and I think (being affected by a cleft) just really helped mold me into the person I’m so proud to be today.”
epond@durangoherald.com
