What an inspiring message this morning from Colleen Wheatley and Morgan Capinding.  About Face is a not-for-profit organization active in Canada and many other countries to assist people who look different in their facial appearance.  One in sixty children in Canada are born with a condition that manifests as a face that appears different from the norm – perhaps the most commonly identified condition is a cleft palate and hair lip. Children in this situation can benefit greatly from programs that bring them together and boost their self-esteem, like the Camp Trailblazers program delivered in five provinces across Canada.

Colleen Wheatley, shown with proud dad Rotarian Peter Wheatley, is Program Director with About Face, working from its Canadian head office in Toronto. Colleen delivered a passionate and informative presentation to our club this morning about the work that About Face performs, and about Camp Trailblazers

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Morgan Capinding was born with a lymphatic malformation and has benefited from the work performed by Colleen and others.  Morgan really enjoyed Camp, and now is an advocate for other kids to attend Camp and reap the rewards of creating strong bonds of friendship with other children who understand what it’s like to have a face that appears different.  She discovered that “it’s not a bad thing to be different.” Morgan had never made a presentation to an audience like ours, and did a wonderful job, making a real impression on us all.

Ten thousand babies are born in Canada each year with a congenital condition related to facial appearance, and another 50,000 people acquire a facial condition annually thorough injury, disease or other incident.  Such conditions can be debilitating, but thankfully Colleen and others are making a big difference through About Face.  Our hats off to Colleen, Morgan, and your peers!

 
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