Podcast: How Arkansas Children's Cleft Lip & Palate Team Helps Kids like Levi Smile

During her 20-week ultrasound, Ashley and her husband Gabe first heard the devastating news that their precious unborn baby, Levi, had a relatively rare birth defect—a bilateral cleft lip. In our most recent Live, Learn & Play Podcast, we sat down with Levi’s parents to talk about their son’s bilateral cleft lip diagnosis and his treatment at Arkansas Children’s. 

“The team is amazing,” says Ashley. “They’re very reassuring and make you feel as comfortable as you can about what’s going on with your child, especially when it requires surgery.”

Since 1978, almost all children born in Arkansas with a cleft lip and/or palate have been treated at Arkansas Children’s. The Cleft Lip and Palate Program at Arkansas Children’s offers comprehensive, coordinated care to children with clefts from the time of birth until services are no longer needed—usually into the teen years, and sometimes, even into adulthood.

The team was started by world-renowned pediatric otolaryngologist Dr. Robert Siebert who passed down his knowledge to ENT surgeons Dr. Larry D. Hartzell and Dr. Adam Johnson.

Arkansas Children’s podcast host Rebecca Brockman speaks with Ashley and Gabe, who share their medical journey, how this unique treatment helped their son get ready for surgery and how Levi is doing now. Tune into this latest Live, Learn & Play Podcast episode here.

Subscribe to our podcast to hear stories of the people, places, and the programs of Arkansas Children’s. Our mission at Arkansas Children's is to champion children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow. Throughout these podcasts we will hear the emotional stories of hope, hardship and healing from the patients and families of Arkansas Children's. Our podcast is also available on iTunes and Google Podcasts.