Emily's journey continues...

Emily was born on April 15, 2004 with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate. The amazing cleft team at NYU has given Emily the beautiful smile she has today.

It's hard to believe that Emily turned 5 years old this past April. We've come a long way since her first year of taping, surgeries, rehabilitation and so much worry.

Emily's journey isn't over. She has extensive orthondontia ahead of her, starting this year, and she's also old enough now to begin questioning why her lip is different. She's very self-concious about her teeth and upper lip. We keep telling Emily how much we love her face, but we understand that this is a hard journey for her - one we can't take in her shoes.

We all have doubts about ourselves and our appearance, but for children like Emily with a  craniofacial difference, dealing with the cruelty of other people's judgement can be an every day occurrance. That's why we think it's so important to support Forward Face in their effort to raise awareness about craniofacial differences and, through awareness, foster acceptance.

Join us in supporting this important cause which is so near and dear to our hearts. Please donate to Team Dooley and help us reach our Fundraising goal!