Facing the World with Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate

Charlotte Peinhardt was born with cleft lip and cleft palate, a condition affecting roughly 1 in 700 births in which the lip and/or palate do not fully form during fetal development. In this episode, Charlotte shares what it has been like to grow up with a visible difference—navigating surgeries, the social experience of looking different, and the long process of building self-acceptance. She reflects on how her experience has shaped her identity and her perspective on what it means to face the world in a body others notice before they know you.