Much More Than a Toy: Cleft Dolls Build Confidence, Hope and Life Skills 

Children receive many benefits from playing with dolls. They can foster development by helping to build social skills, empathy and emotional processing, and even increase activity in certain regions of the brain. But for the young patients of Operation Smile who are being treated for cleft conditions, a doll can be so much more — especially if that doll looks like them. 

“Often times patients have never seen even another child with a cleft condition before coming to Operation Smile,” says Ashley Myles, comprehensive care senior program manager. “The opportunity to see themselves represented in a doll can foster a sense of normalization, hope and admiration for young children.” 

In a program that began in 2023 through a donation from Operation Smile Canada, over 250 dolls have been distributed to Operation Smile locations in over 30 countries, from Honduras to Malawi. These dolls help fill a gap caused by the underrepresentation of cleft conditions in media and toys, which might make patients with cleft conditions feel alone. Dolls are often tools through which kids play out real-life scenarios, dreams and stories. “If a child can’t find a doll that looks like them, it can feel like their story doesn’t exist.” says Myles.  

They are also helpful for parents in understanding their child’s condition as well. 

For example, in South Africa, the dolls play a role in practical demonstrations, particularly when showcasing techniques for feeding infants with cleft conditions. In the Dominican Republic, doulas use the dolls as a tool when teaching the correct way to breastfeed babies with cleft lips, ensuring mothers can feed their babies safely and properly.  Everywhere, the dolls are used in role-playing exercises, where they build confidence by serving as realistic models for hands-on practice. 

The dolls can also be a powerful tool when training health care professionals who may not have had much experience caring for patients with cleft conditions. “First the cleft dolls are helpful for creating general awareness. There are still people who don’t know what cleft lips are,” says Mich Rakotomalala, senior program manager of global medical education. “The dolls also help train our providers to work with dolls as they learn how to work with patients with cleft conditions specifically.”  For example, during a recent surgical program in Zomba, Malawi, cleft dolls were used in drama performances to help patients and caregivers visualize the realities of cleft conditions.  

For parents, many who may be facing fears and insecurities about how to help their children accept their condition, sessions with the dolls allow them to understand the power of inclusion. Together with guidance from trained psychologists and therapists, they help them develop strategies to reinforce their children’s confidence at home and handle comments or prejudices they may face in other environments. 

Without a doubt, the cleft dolls being used by Operation Smile facilities are not just toys; they are symbols of inclusion, acceptance and hope. As Myles says, “Seeing their features reflected in toys helps the children feel proud of who they are.” 

Learn more about how Operation Smile provides a spectrum of supportive care services to its patients.