Teens and Young Adults (2025)

What a FFC Scholarship Means to Me

Bridget Burke is FFC's 2013 Jane C. McDaid Scholarship Recipient. She tells us what the FFC scholarship means to her and what she has achieved in the last 7 years.

November 5th, 2020|

Playing piano to support FFC

Talented pianist, 15 year old Eric Zhang plays piano to support FFC's Paces for Faces Walk Along 2020. Hope you enjoy it!

September 21st, 2020|

2019 CCA Retreat Experience

Read about the Pendleton family's experience at the CCA's Family Retreat and Educational Symposium in Scottsdale and how Aimee made many new friends.

August 13th, 2019|

A “Dream” come true

I was thrilled that my dream was going to come true. To have a dream come true after going through a big operation was trulythe best part to end a painful procedure. I have never experienced a vacation that could beat this one. It was the best “Dream” ever.

April 17th, 2018|

Think positive whoever you are!

I was born with a birth defect which made everyone think that I would be weak and dying. But they were wrong; except one thing, I do have a birth defect. It makes me a very special and gifted child.

May 4th, 2017|

Personal Story – Jennifer Dodwell

As someone who was born with hemifacial microsomia, I certainly had my fair share of surgeries and doctors appointments growing up. By the time I was fifteen, I had been through thirteen surgeries, or roughly one per summer. As I’m sure almost everyone reading this can relate to, surgeries are never pleasant or fun.

November 29th, 2014|

Emily – A sisters story

In Your Own Words My name is Emily. My older brother was born with a cleft lip and palate. If you asked me if that makes him different than any other teenage boy, I’d tell you no.

October 1st, 2014|

Mike Kozlowski – A winning style

“A facial deformity, or any deformity, does not prevent success,” says Mike. “The challenges associated with being different cultivate many positive characteristics, including endurance, courage, and leadership.” Mike, who has had 14 corrective procedures at Children’s Hospital Boston, believes the challenges associated with having cleft lip and palate have helped him develop valuable skills that have benefited him at MIT and throughout his life.

April 1st, 2014|

Lauren Dausch – In her own words

Born with Hemifacial Microsomia with Microtia, Lauren Dausch from Sharon, Mass., was a 2012 recipient of FFC’s Jane C. McDaid Scholarship Award. This summer she will be working at Camp Starfish in New Hampshire, a sleep-away camp in for kids with emotional, behavioral, and developmental issues and disorders. Her dream career is to counsel children and teens as a social worker.

August 16th, 2013|

Reflecting On His Experience

While in some ways it is difficult to quantify the effect that this has had on my life, upon reflection, it has shaped me in subtle but important ways. The most profound impact has probably been in developing empathy for others. Often times I would sit in a waiting room at Boston Children’s Hospital and look around to see other children with conditions far more severe than mine. After my own experience, it is difficult not to have a deep appreciation for the hardships they have had to endure.As a result, I have tried to be more compassionate of those around me and to understand the path that they have traveled.

June 14th, 2008|

She’s an Inspiration

She does not cry to get attention, complain when in pain, or show any signs of discomfort until it is unbearable. I have seen her remain calm in a situation where I would have been unsettled and tough it out when I would have fled. I am fortunate enough to live with the person who has inspired me the most and who has had the most influence on my life.This strong, yet shy and funny person is my 22-year-old sister, Kara.

March 14th, 0208|