myFace Brings Smiles to Kids and Families Alike

For tens of thousands of children, facial differences cause myriad problems, from difficulty with sensory perception to social isolation. In the United States, one in 1,600 children is born with facial deformities, with one in 700 experiencing an oro-facial cleft. While these issues can profoundly affect a child’s life, many insurance companies continue to classify corrective surgeries as cosmetic. In order to combat these issues and bring life-changing surgery to those in need, the NYC-based myFace treats more than 2,000 patients every year.

First established as the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction, myFace operates as a nonprofit organization associated with the physicians at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, which operates the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. The institute was founded with the assistance of myFace in 1955 and stands at the forefront of research in this critical area of the medical field. Furthermore, myFace offers its patients’ families help through The Newman Family Support Center. The center maintains an interdisciplinary team that includes professionals ranging from nutritionists and speech pathologists to psychologists and geneticists. It provides assistance to the entire family, as well as housing and travel help for families visiting the institute from out of town.

To learn more about myFace and how to contribute to its mission, visit www.myface.org.