by Josh Ford, Candid’s Head of Global Business Development
Candid’s mission has always been clear: make high quality oral care more accessible. As the head of partnerships here, it’s my priority to make sure we’re always walking the walk — not just talking the talk — when it comes to that mission.
That’s why I’m so proud to announce our exciting new partnership with Smile Train, the world’s leading nonprofit focused on treating clefts for children around the world. Candid is now donating $25 of every aligner kit sold, with the goal of sponsoring 1,000 surgeries in 2019.
Recently, a group of Candid team members, all representing different departments, took a trip to Mexico City to see Smile Train in action.
Our first stop was one of Smile Train’s partner hospitals, where we got to meet with some of their doctors. We were beyond impressed and inspired by the dedication and emotional investment we saw in Smile Train’s staff.
Every Monday, 60–70 families arrive at the hospital to be screened for treatment. In talking to those families, it really struck me how limited their options were. Without Smile Train, many of those children would never be treated.
We also got to meet a child who completed his treatment at the end of last year. When he was born, his father didn’t know what to do or what their options were, so he went to an internet cafe and searched on Google until he found Smile Train.
Now fully recovered from surgery, he is breathing and eating on his own without complication. Without Smile Train’s help, his father says they would have had no way to pay for treatment.
After meeting so many families whose lives have been changed for the better because of Smile Train, we were ready to start making the biggest impact possible.
For me personally, this partnership is an exciting motivator to grow Candid’s business. The more we sell, the more we help. While our goal this year is funding 1,000 surgeries, I look forward to when we’re able to fund 10,000 or more surgeries in a year. Eventually, I’d love to get to a place where every child born with cleft lip or cleft palate gets the treatment they need.
When it comes down to it, the barrier to treating cleft isn’t technology or know-how. It’s access. And access is a priority for Smile Train and Candid alike.
While Candid is focused on clear aligners today, our vision is much broader and deeper than that. And this partnership is just the beginning.
Learn more about Smile Train here.
