By Marian Pontz
Each day, a building on Lime Street in downtown Lancaster is passed by thousands of motorists – most of whom do not realize the incredible work being done there by over 30 dedicated staff members and a number of volunteers. Patients of all ages, from all corners of our community and beyond, sit in a large, beautiful waiting room, many with their families. For some, it’s their first visit to the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic. For the Weaver sisters, it’s one of many visits over the years – and a testament to the clinic's profound impact on our community.
Joy Weaver is a third-grade teacher at Mount Calvary Christian School and mother to Taylor (age 17) and Bailee (age 13). Weaver explains that when she and her husband began the process of adopting their daughters, both of whom were born with a cleft lip, they remembered the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic. She then learned of the unique and innovative style of team care provided at the Clinic, as well as their reputation for excellence. Theirs is a model that has been replicated in many other institutions across the country and is now considered the standard of care worldwide.
The non-profit was founded in 1938 by a Lancaster orthodontist, Dr. Herbert Cooper, in his home on N. Lime Street. Dr. Cooper’s practice was the first of its kind in the world. Their original mission was to offer holistic help to their patients, with no limitations due to a lack of funds; this is still the mission for their now-expanded modern clinic, which is the only independent craniofacial clinic in the United States.
Lexi Stauffer, Director of Team Services at Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic, explains that their team approach includes up to 13 different medical, dental, and allied healthcare professionals, such as dentists, orthodontists, speech pathologists, a social worker, plastic surgeons, and an audiologist, all under one roof.
When patients visit, they are seen by their entire team, and a progress report is sent to their email after the visit. Care can begin as young as 20 weeks in utero and continue into young adulthood when a fully functional face and aesthetically optimal smile is achieved.
“The Cleft Palate Clinic put me at ease,” Weaver says. “They helped us through the whole process. We are so thankful for the quality of care the team provides. Adopting both girls from China, both needing the clinic’s services over the years, could be an overwhelming commitment for the entire family, but as the girls both say, ‘It’s nice to see people here, and they make me feel calm.’”
These bright, funny, confident young ladies were kindly willing to share their honest experiences at the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic, as well as to express their gratitude for their care. (But, really, what they both wanted was to share with me their excitement for the week of horse camp they had ahead of them when we spoke!)
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