Grieving the Plan, Finding the Bond: A Cleft Mom's Honest Journey
About this episode
Maddie Nipper shares her journey as a cleft mom, discussing challenges and insights related to her son Levi's condition.
In this episode of Our Forever Smiles , Laura is joined by Maddie Nipper, mom to Levi Samuel, who was born with a complete bilateral cleft lip and palate. Maddie shares her experience navigating prenatal diagnosis, feeding challenges, grief over breastfeeding, and becoming the first family to complete the NAM program at UNC. Together, they talk honestly about surgery, sibling dynamics, faith, and the loneliness that can come with the cleft journey. This episode offers reassurance, validation, and hope for parents who are in the thick of it and wondering if it ever gets easier. Links: Buy Us a Coffee FB Support Group Jack's New Smile
More episodes of Our Forever Smiles with Laura Arroyo
- A Cleft Lip and Palate Diagnosis with a Rare Genetic Twist
- Bring Smiles Despite Miles: Turning a Cleft Journey Into Global Impact
- No Estamos Solas: Clefts, Comunidad y Recursos de Terapia del habla-lenguaje en Español
- Ava the Brava and Beyond: Advocacy, Representation, and Growing Up With a Cleft
- Mental Health, Motherhood, and a Surprise Cleft Diagnosis
- Cleft Surgery Real Talk: Feeding, Sleep, and Healing After Palate Repair with Sarah Norwood
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