"Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart." - Anthony J. D'Angelo
Here is the story of Luca, an adorable two year old boy who holds the key to any heart he encounters. After dealing with infertility issues for two years, Chelsea and Nick Baratto found out they would be expecting their miracle. At 18 weeks gestation, Chelsea and Nick entered their doctors office excited to get a peek at and find out the gender of their little one. To their surprise, that was the day that would change their world, and the world of many others. Luca arrived in July 2016 with sparkling brown eyes and the most beautiful cleft lip smile. From day one, Chelsea knew "he's going to do something to brighten the world."
During her pregnancy, Chelsea learned so much about cleft, the future their son would face, and the statistics. 1 in 700 children are born with a cleft. Unlike in other parts of the world, they never worried about access to healthcare or affordability of surgeries. Chelsea and Nick learned the power of a smile, and how in some countries having the repair surgery can change the life of the person, and potentially their entire family lineage. Falling twice into the "one category", the odds of infertility being 1 in 7 and 1 in 700 for cleft, Chelsea and Nick felt the desire to make a difference to that "one". Smiles are too often taken for granted, and they wanted Luca to know his story and path made a difference for others; and so, 700Smiles was born. Chelsea and Nick set the goal of funding 700 smiles through Smile Train ($250 per surgery) by Luca's 18th birthday. In the years ahead, they know there will be dark or hard days, and they want to show Luca the "blessing in the struggle".
This year, for World Smile Day (October 5), they have put together a wonderful local fundraiser and proceeds will go to reach their goal for Smile Train. For a suggested donation of $20 PER FAMILY you can enjoy fun, games, activities, food and more! For all the details on the event and how your family can have fun and support smiles around the world, check out the Facebook Event.
Chelsea and Nick are parents making a difference in our local community and the world at large. Know another local parent or individual making a positive impact? E-mail us and we'd love to spotlight them in our MKA Community Cares column.
