Beijing Hospital Performs 11,000 Free Cleft Surgeries

When Li Minmin was born in rural Sichuan in 1997, her father rejected her because of her cleft lip and palate. Her mother and grandmother brought her home anyway, beginning a journey that would eventually lead to healing and hope.

Li Minmin couldn't drink water easily or speak clearly because of a large opening in the roof of her mouth. Other children bullied her, and she felt profoundly alone until age 9, when her mother heard about a celebrity-sponsored program offering free surgeries.

That program became Smile Angel Children's Hospital in Beijing, founded by actor Li Yapeng and singer Faye Wong after their daughter was born with the same condition. Since 2012, the nonprofit hospital has performed more than 11,000 free surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate, a condition affecting about 25,000 newborns in China every year.

Li Minmin's first surgery repaired her lip, and seeing other children like her for the first time made her feel less alone. Over the years, she had multiple reconstructive surgeries, each one building her confidence piece by piece.

After dropping out of school at 14, Li Minmin worked at a toy factory and later at a food company that hired people with disabilities. Her coworkers' kindness helped her emerge from her shell, and she slowly learned to embrace connection rather than fear rejection.

Following her nose surgery in 2021, Li Minmin's confidence soared. She learned to do makeup, felt comfortable meeting new people, and eventually met her husband, who married her last year and reassured her that any future children would receive the care they need.

The Ripple Effect

When news broke in January that the hospital faced closure due to rent arrears, people across China donated 26 million yuan (about $3.78 million) within days. Former patients like Li Minmin, who had never publicly shared childhood photos before, came forward to tell their stories and honor the people who helped them.

Yang Fen, father of a 16-year-old patient, and countless other families are now sharing their experiences to bring hope to parents facing similar journeys. The outpouring of support demonstrates how one hospital's compassion created a community of advocates ready to pay kindness forward.

Li Minmin and her mother both donated to save the hospital that changed their lives, proof that healing creates healers.