Smile Train Breaks From Traditional Holiday Campaigns With Interactive Giving Experience

Dreaming of Midnight is an interactive virtual experience that – told through the eyes of a representative protagonist, Camila – guides audiences through the daily hardships faced by people with unrepaired clefts. Viewers follow Camila on a 360-degree tour of her home on New Year’s Eve as her cleft lip prevents her from participating in celebratory traditions. Activities such as eating holiday treats, ringing in the New Year with noisemakers and kissing loved ones are revealed as near impossible due to her cleft.

“The most powerful way to capture the severity of cleft is through an individual’s own eyes,” said Smile Train CEO Susannah Schaefer. “Many think that cleft is just a cosmetic issue, but an unrepaired cleft can also impair breathing, speaking and eating, lead to social isolation and compromise daily activities that many of us take for granted.”

Viewers quickly learn that Camila’s greatest wish for the New Year is a new smile – one that will give her confidence and the opportunity to transform her life. Participants can help grant this wish by donating at different hotspots that are woven throughout the story. Hovering over a hotspot on a computer screen reveals how donations – ranging anywhere from $5 to $1,000 – can support a patient’s cleft treatment, whether it be surgical equipment or a patient’s full hospital stay. Audiences can also watch Camila’s story and donate to the cause on a mobile device. For more information about the Dreaming of Midnight campaign and to view Camila’s story, visit smiletrain.org/powerofasmile.

“As part of an exciting shift in our approach to fundraising and engagement, this Giving Tuesday, we’re embracing new technologies and tactics that let us reach audiences in more meaningful ways,” continued Schaefer. “This interactive, visual experience demonstrates to supporters how even the smallest of tasks are challenging for cleft sufferers, reinforcing the urgency of our work.”

In parallel with Dreaming of Midnight, Smile Train is also showcasing the empowering stories of former Smile Train patients in its Power of a Smile series. As part of the series, Smile Train is introducing Divya, a young girl from India whose cleft repair surgery allowed her to pursue an expressive form of Indian dance and financially support her family. Also featured is the story of Bergaline, a young girl from Haiti whose repair surgery gave her the confidence to attend school and make friends.

“The remarkable stories of Divya and Bergaline show just how far a new smile can go in helping children achieve their dreams and carve out a meaningful future,” said Schaefer. “We encourage supporters to visit our patient series and engage with our newest heroine, Camila, to see how they can help transform the lives of millions still suffering with unrepaired clefts today.”

About Smile Train
Smile Train is an international children’s charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. Millions of children in developing countries with unrepaired clefts live in shame, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Smile Train’s sustainable model provides training and funding to empower local doctors in 85+ developing countries to provide 100%-free cleft repair surgery in their own communities. To learn more about how Smile Train’s sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.

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