Philip F. George Jr. is the head of the George Music Company, a jukebox-supply-and-service enterprise in Akron, Ohio. In addition to running the business, Philip F. George Jr. supports Smile Train, an organization that provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries for children in 87 countries, including India, China, and Peru.
Every year, more than 2,500 babies are born with a cleft palate and more than 4,000 with a cleft lip. The genetic cause of these birth defects is unknown. Left unrepaired, clefts make it difficult to eat, speak, and even breathe. The children are often spurned by their communities as well.
Children born with cleft lips or palates who receive surgery and the necessary follow-up care can go on to live healthy lives. The money raised by Smile Train pays for hospital stays and procedures, doctor training, medical equipment, and follow-up care, such as orthodontics and speech therapy.
