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Jennifer's Story
Hello, I was born in 1964 in a small town just outside Chicago I was born with a cleft lip/palate. I have had at least 13 operations you tend to lose count after a while. I finally stopped at about 21 years when I realized in my eyes nothing ever changed, that I would have to change. Childhood was rough as is the case for most of us, I was teased many times but not by all those who didn't are still some of my best friends today. When living in a small town most people tend to notice you when you are the only child in the school district who needs speech therapy from 3 years to 14 years. And when you have braces from 7 to 18 years old you usually have a lot of explaining to do. I never dated in school. And have dated much in adulthood either. I'm not sure if when I every do get married that I would have children I don't know if I could put my child though what I went thru not just the teasing but the painful surgery & dental work. I do wish though that I could find the first doctor to operate on me, he told my parents that I would never have any teeth and doubted if I would ever speak correctly. I guess luckily for me I come from family with extra teeth, but because of poor gums and jaw none of the teeth lasted and after all the dental work they still had to be pulled. And thanks to a great speech therapist my voice is my job and no one is the wiser. Also thanks to my parents who found a different doctor who took great care of me. I wish there was widesmiles when I was young but I am glad to have found it.