Cleft Connect Australia is a not for profit charity established to help Australian families of children born with a Cleft lip and or palates. CCA is run by a dedicated volunteer base and sources funding via charity events and donations.
Services available with Cleft Connect Australia
All of Cleft Connect’s services are free for the Cleft families. Their membership, loan library and hospital bags are also free. They aim to help as many Australian Cleft affected families as they can. The Cleft Connect Australia website has many gems of wisdom about the cleft journey, as well as the relevant forms to get assistance.
Free Medela Freestyle Breast Pump hire for mums of cleft babies
Babies affected by Cleft are unable to suck, so special feeding equipment is needed which is costly. In the Cleft Connect Australia loan library, they have the Medela Freestyle breast pumps to help mothers give their babies breastmilk. These are loaned out for free.
Cleft Connect Australia’s 4 Hospital support bags
Newborn
Cleft palate babies can’t suck, so they can’t use regular bottles and can’t be solely breastfed. Feeding equipment is costly, which is why Cleft Connect are giving each Cleft family a Medela Special Needs feeder bottle. This allows for easy regulation of milk flow, and stops extra air from being ingested. These bottles retail for around $70, this is a valuable gift for members.
Lip Repair โ 4-6 months of age
Cleft Connect understand how emotionally hard this time is and they want to give something special and unique to every Australian Cleft child. Each child is given a teddy for them to have forever as a symbol of how brave and strong they are. Each teddy is personalised with your child’s name and a replica scar.
Palate Repair โ 7-9 months of age
The palate repair bag Cleft Connect Australia offers includes a Wiggles DVD and CD for entertainment, Sinchies reusable food pouches and a personalized jumpsuit.
Bone Graft 8-12 years of age
Cleft Connect’s bone graft bags offers a choice of gift cards. Your child can pick from an iTunes (apple devices), google Play (android devices), XBox, PlayStation or Netflix gift card. These are all great to help take your child’s mind off their recovery.
To find out more about how Cleft Connect can help your family, please visit http://cleftconnect.org.au/.
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