About this episode

This episode features a conversation between Laura Arroyo and Maria, a cleft mom from Greece, discussing her journey through a prenatal cleft diagnosis and the support found in community.

In this deeply moving episode of Our Forever Smiles, host Laura Arroyo sits down with Maria, a cleft mom from Greece, to share her powerful journey of navigating a prenatal cleft diagnosis, unexpected fear, and finding strength through motherhood and community. Maria opens up about the emotional moment she learned her son had a cleft lip, the devastating and ultimately incorrect Down syndrome scare she received from her first doctor, and how that experience forever changed her as a mother, wife, and advocate. She shares the realities of cleft care in Greece, where resources and feeding supplies are limited, and how a small but passionate Facebook community of cleft families became a lifeline of support. Together, Laura and Maria discuss NICU experiences, surgery fears, feeding challenges, postpartum emotions, and the incredible resilience parents discover when advocating for their children. This episode is a heartfelt reminder that no matter where you are in the world, cleft families are connected through love, courage, and community. Whether you are newly diagnosed, preparing for surgery, or simply searching for reassurance, this conversation will leave you feeling seen…

People in this episode

Host: Laura Arroyo

Guest: Maria

Topics covered

• cleft care
• motherhood
• community support
• parenting challenges
• NICU experiences
• advocacy

Keywords

• cleft lip
• motherhood
• community
• support
• parenting
• Greece
• NICU
• advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Facebook

Places: Greece

More episodes of Our Forever Smiles with Laura Arroyo

• When You Know Something Isn't Right: A Mother's Journey Through Cleft Care | Kailey Kuck · July 21, 2026 · 59 min
• Born with a Cleft Palate: Learning to Speak Up and Thrive | Delaney Yard · July 14, 2026 · 36 min
• Finding Healing Through Art: Amy Hofland on Cleft, Compassion, and Community · July 7, 2026 · 55 min
• The 100 Cleft Portrait Tour: Building Community Through Storytelling · June 30, 2026 · 32 min
• From Cleft Provider to Cleft Mom: Dr. Jordan Virden's Story · June 23, 2026 · 43 min
• Why Are Babies Born with Clefts? Genetic Counselor, Robin Imagire Answers · June 16, 2026 · 54 min

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