Six-month-old RCH patient Drake Saul has recently had surgery to repair a cleft lip and palate. Drake’s mum Cassi van den Dungen from the 2009 series of Australia’s Next Top Model said motherhood had been an adventure.

“The best part has been seeing him smile” Cassi said.

RCH plastic surgeon David Chong said cleft palates occurred very early in pregnancy when for some reason the face didn’t completely fuse.

The four-hour surgery involved making Drake’s lip and nose as symmetrical as possible, Mr Chong said.

Cleft palates affect one in every 700 babies in Australia.

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