McCann Health and Smile Asia's Cutlery Raises Children with Cleft Condition Awareness

Smile Asia has partnered with McCann Health Singapore to create The Cleft Collection, a unique set of cutlery, made up of a knife, fork and spoon, is deliberately designed to change the way people eat so they can experience how difficult every meal is for children with cleft lip and palate.

Each year, over 100,000 children in Asia are born with cleft conditions, birth defects that turn the simple act of eating into a challenging exercise.

With the help of Ritz Carlton, a four-course dinner crafted by Executive Chef Massimo Pasquarelli was organised.

Unsuspecting guests, including several key opinion leaders, experienced how difficult it was to dine with The Cleft Collection. The purpose of the event was revealed at the end of the dinner, highlighting one of many difficulties faced by children with cleft conditions and raising awareness about the cause. 

“The Cleft Collection allows you and I to experience the struggles children with cleft lip and palate face at every meal.” said Vincent Yeow, Chairman and Founder of Smile Asia. He added, “We hope that with this initiative, we will be able to get more people to support the cause of helping children across Asia living with these conditions.”

“This simple idea puts people in the shoes of children with cleft conditions and lets them experience how a basic activity of daily living can be create frustration and despair,” explained Alejandro Canciobello, Creative Director at McCann Health Singapore.