Mollie Carlson
Mollie Carlson, an 18-year-old from Scandia, Kan., was born with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, a birth defect that causes the tissues of the mouth or lip not to form properly. Some form of this condition occurs in 1 in every 600 births in the United States. Along with serious cosmetic issues, children with cleft lip and palate can also experience hearing loss, problems eating and difficulty in breathing and speaking.
When Mollie was born, doctors told her parents that the cleft lip and palate would require a couple of surgeries and would be repaired by kindergarten. Mollie was referred to a physician in Wichita, Kan., and had her first surgery to close her lip at 10 weeks old. Though it was an improvement, she still had difficulty breathing and challenges eating.
Several months later, a member of Shriners International heard about Mollie and contacted her family. He told them that Mollie, then 1 year old, was eligible to receive expert care at Shriners Hospitals for Children® — Chicago. The hospital’s chief-of-staff established Mollie as a patient and consulted with a team of doctors and medical professionals to create a comprehensive treatment regimen that would last until she was 21. The team was composed of speech therapists, speech pathologists, an ear, nose and throat doctor, a plastic surgeon, an audiologist, a dentist and an orthodontist, as well as a psychologist to assess Mollie’s psychological development.
Since Mollie became a patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children®, she has undergone 19 reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries, from the closure of her palate to rhinoplasty to orthodontic surgery. The procedures have made it possible for her to eat, drink and speak without the problems often associated with a cleft lip and palate. One of Mollie’s most recent procedures provided a major boost to her self-image. She had a complete jaw augmentation to both jaws that corrected her smile and bite.
Mollie, who graduated from high school in May, is an active teenager who enjoys a wide variety of activities. She is president of her church’s youth group and a member of Girl Scouts, from which she recently won the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout between the ages of 14 and 18 may earn. Her extracurricular activities included the flag corps, National Honor Society, student council, drill team, site council and scholars’ bowl. She served on the state board of directors for the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and was her chapter’s vice president. In addition, Mollie was one of four valedictorians in her senior class.
In her spare time, Mollie speaks to groups about her experiences as a cleft lip and palate patient. She is a patient ambassador for Shriners Hospitals for Children® and speaks regularly at the organization’s events. She has presented at countless local Shrine Clubs, temple functions and the 2008 Shriners International Imperial Council Session in St. Louis.
As for future plans, Mollie has been inspired by her speech pathologist at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Chicago, Mary O’Gara, and will be studying communications disorders at Fort Hays State University. Upon completion of her master’s degree, she hopes to work as a traveling bilingual speech-language pathologist.