Having fun at the Winter Wonderland party

Children who have been treated by the Addenbrooke's cleft lip and palate team enjoyed a 'Winter Wonderland' party at the hospital on Saturday 3 December, hosted by the Cambridge branch of CLAPA (Cleft Lip and Palate Association).

Children from all over East Anglia attended with their families, and got the chance to meet each other and staff on the team away from the hospital setting in a fun and interactive way.

At the party, patient Adam Reynolds, aged seven, and his family handed over a cheque to Mr Per Hall, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, for the £1,385 that they raised for the cleft lip and palate team. Christina Fonseca, branch manager of the Saffron Walden Herts and Essex Building Society, also handed over a cheque for £400 to CLAPA Cambridge to produce welcome packs for the mothers of newborn babies with cleft lip and palate problems.

Dr Anna Zeffertt, Clinical Psychologist for the cleft lip and palate team, said: "CLAPA–Cambridge is doing a fantastic job to bring children with cleft lip and palate problems together who would only otherwise meet each other in the hospital clinic or ward setting. Families get a great deal out of meeting each other and sharing information. It is a good step towards breaking down some of the misconceptions that exist about the condition."

The Cleft.Net.East Network based at Addenbrooke's provides a centre for excellence for the region's cleft lip and palate patients, offering care and support from birth right through to adulthood. It is a 'hub and spoke' service, where patients can be seen at Addenbrooke's (the 'hub') for surgery and special clinics, receiving part of their regular care, for example speech and language therapy, at more local centres ('spokes'). The core team travels to nine local hospitals for joint clinics with local specialists. The team is multidisciplinary, and is made up of plastic surgeons, speech and language therapists, orthodontists, ear nose and throat/audiology specialists, paediatricians, a psychologist and nurse specialists.

Last updated: 15 December 2005