Love Meets Joy

In this special episode, we introduce you to Isaac Ballou and Michael Barbour, Iva and Ashley's brothers. They share their personal stories, offering a look into what it's like to grow up alongside a cleft-affected sibling. From early childhood memories to their roles in their sisters' lives today, these men's insightful stories of the strength and love that can define this journey are a must-listen for all members of the cleft community, including allies.

Hosts Ashley Barbour and Iva Ballou sit down with Dr. Leanne Magee, a pediatric psychologist from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who specializes in working with children with appearance differences, for a thoughtful discussion on the critical intersection of mental health and cleft care. We explore Dr. Magee's unique role on the cleft care team, strategies for addressing bullying, and the importance of building confidence in children and adults alike. Our conversation also touches on the challenges of accessing mental health care within the cleft community, insurance barriers, and the often-misunderstood aspects of psychosocial care. Mentioned:Dr. Leanne Magee at Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania Cleft Con 2020 Session Cleft Con 2021 Session Cleft Con 2022 Session Cleft Con NYC Session American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association Patients & Families ResourcesSmile Train Community ProgramsIf you like the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, follow us on social, and tell all your friends to listen. Questions or episode ideas? Email us at lovemeetsjoy@smiletrain.org. We can't wait to hear from you.Transcripts are available at smiletrain.org/lovemeetsjoy Follow Ashley on IG at CleftLoveIG and Facebook at CleftLove Follow Iva on IG at RealSophisticatedJoy and Facebook at RealSophisticatedJoy Love Meets Joy is produced by Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused organization, with a sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential care. Over the last 25+ years, Smile Train has supported safe and quality cleft care for 2+ million children and will continue to do so until every child in need with a cleft has access to the care they deserve. Learn more here.

In this episode, we bring you the inspiring stories of painter Monica Bachue and TikTok star and RN Jackson Wright, two cleft-affected individuals who are channeling their personal experiences into art that makes a difference. Mentioned: Leporinos Foundation Follow Monica and Leporinos on IG at @monicabachue and @leporinos Follow Jackson at @printfairy and @dakotawright If you like the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, follow us on social, and tell all your friends to listen. Questions or episode ideas? Email us at lovemeetsjoy@smiletrain.org. We can't wait to hear from you.Transcripts are available at smiletrain.org/lovemeetsjoy Follow Ashley on IG at CleftLoveIG and Facebook at CleftLove Follow Iva on IG at RealSophisticatedJoy and Facebook at RealSophisticatedJoy Love Meets Joy is produced by Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused organization, with a sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential care. Over the last 25+ years, Smile Train has supported safe and quality cleft care for 2+ million children and will continue to do so until every child in need with a cleft has access to the care they deserve. Learn more here.

Iva and Ashley sit down with Canadian actor, writer, and producer Allisha Pelletier for a heartfelt conversation celebrating resilience, creativity, and the joy of embracing your own unique journey. Allisha shares what it was like to grow up with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, discover her passion for acting, and navigate the challenges of being in a beauty-focused industry. We also dive into her new project, "The H-Word," a show that blends comedy with real-life experiences and explores the healing power of storytelling and the importance of community. Mentioned:Follow Allisha and H Word on IG at @allisha.pelletier and @thehwordseries If you like the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, follow us on social, and tell all your friends to listen. Questions or episode ideas? Email us at lovemeetsjoy@smiletrain.org. We can't wait to hear from you.Transcripts are available at smiletrain.org/lovemeetsjoy Follow Ashley on IG at CleftLoveIG and Facebook at CleftLove Follow Iva on IG at RealSophisticatedJoy and Facebook at RealSophisticatedJoy Love Meets Joy is produced by Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused organization, with a sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential care. Over the last 25+ years, Smile Train has supported safe and quality cleft care for 2+ million children and will continue to do so until every child in need with a cleft has access to the care they deserve. Learn more here.

Iva and Ashley welcome Luci Capo-Rome, a retired nurse practitioner, author, and advocate for older adults with craniofacial differences for an insightful, powerful discussion on overcoming challenges, finding strength in community, and advocating for lasting change. Luci shares her journey to accepting her bilateral cleft lip and palate, her career as both a patient and a healthcare provider, and the inspiration behind her book, Lucia's Story: My Imperfect Beauty. Our conversation explores why community is so important for cleft-affected individuals, the impact of self-esteem on relationships, and Luci's advocacy work, including her efforts spearheading Smile Train's support for the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA).

In this highlight, Ashley and Iva introduce listeners to a completely different perspective of their cleft journeys – their mothers'.

In this highlight, Ashley and Iva introduce listeners to a completely different perspective of their cleft journeys – their mothers'.

In this highlight, Ashley and Iva discuss their experiences with bullying and share advice for others who may be dealing with it.

Having a facial difference can complicate how individuals relate to conventional beauty standards. For cleft-affected women, it can be an especially fraught topic. In this highlight, Ashley and Iva discuss their own, ever-evolving journeys around makeup, scars and body image.

As members of the cleft community know firsthand, having a facial difference can introduce a completely new dimension to dating. In this highlight, Ashley and Iva discuss how their clefts have affected their romantic relationships, their approach to online dating, and the universal theme of searching for love.

While all members of the cleft lip and palate community have some shared experiences, everyone's journey is unique. In this highlight, Ashley and Iva dive into their personal cleft experiences. Among other topics, they discuss their surgeries, cleft teams and cleft-related eating challenges.

Promo for season 2

From the Joker to the Phantom of the Opera, from Scar to Alphonso from The Umbrella Academy, there are numerous examples of facial scarring or differences being used to identify the villain in media and to emphasize their evil. How do we change this stereotype and bring about industry-wide change to ensure facial differences are represented across all characters? In this episode, Ashley and Iva are joined by actor, dancer, recording artist, and fellow cleft advocate, Alex Isenberg, to dive into the history of this trope and what a more equitable future could look like.

In this special, two-part episode, Ashley and Iva introduce listeners to a completely different perspective of their cleft journeys – their mothers'. When did they find out their daughter would have a cleft? What was the most challenging part of the cleft journey for them? Is there anything they wish they'd known at the beginning? Did they grapple with any guilt? Joined by their daughters, Janet Barbour and Carolyn Ballou open up about all these topics and more.

In this special, two-part episode, Ashley and Iva introduce listeners to a completely different perspective of their cleft journeys – their mothers'. When did they find out their daughter would have a cleft? What was the most challenging part of the cleft journey for them? Is there anything they wish they'd known at the beginning? Did they grapple with any guilt? Joined by their daughters, Janet Barbour and Carolyn Ballou open up about all these topics and more.

Language is powerful and the words we choose to describe ourselves or others often contribute to the construction of our own internal narratives. While the terms used to describe clefts and other facial differences have evolved over time, there is still a lack of consensus among community members about which words are preferred and why. In addition to sharing their own thoughts about the “language of cleft”, in this episode, Ashley and Iva discuss their experiences with bullying and share advice for others who may be dealing with it.

Having a facial difference can complicate how individuals relate to conventional beauty standards. For cleft-affected women in particular, it can be an especially fraught topic. In this episode, Ashley and Iva discuss their own, ever-evolving journeys around makeup and scars, body image, cosmetic cleft-related procedures, and more.

As members of the cleft community know firsthand, having a facial difference can introduce a completely new dimension to dating. Join Ashley and Iva as they discuss how their clefts have affected their romantic relationships and their approach to online dating, and the universal theme of searching for love and acceptance.

While all members of the cleft lip and palate community have some shared experiences, each individual's journey is unique. In this episode, Ashley and Iva dive into their personal cleft experiences. Among other topics, they discuss their surgeries, cleft-related eating challenges, social and emotional difficulties, and their paths to self-acceptance.

Welcome to the Love Meets Joy podcast! In this first episode, hosts Iva Ballou and Ashley Barbour share their personal stories, their connections to cleft lip and palate, how they started their cleft advocacy journeys, and the goal of this new series.

Introducing Love Meets Joy a Smile Train sponsored podcast hosted by cleft advocates Iva Ballou and Ashley Barbour. In this special series, Ashley and Iva discuss their personal journeys and all things cleft lip and palate. From dating and relationships to bullying and the power of words, nothing is off-limits in this honest and empowering series.The first episode launches on Friday, July 28th and we need your help to raise awareness about these important conversations. Subscribe to Love Meets Joy wherever you listen to your podcasts today!