Awareness

Request a Laryngeal Cleft Awareness Day Proclamation in Your State

Most states allow residents to request a proclamation. Search your state’s website for a proclamation request form, or call your governor’s office to inquire. Some states also offer a proclamation signing ceremony. Though not required, it may help to have a personal connection that works in state government to help advocate on your behalf.

Important: Please use the proclamation text below in your request. It has been approved by LCN’s Medical Advisory Board.

3 Easy Steps!

  1. Find your state’s website and search for “proclamation request.”

  2. Fill out the form. Where appropriate, list your name and address as the requestor and LCN’s name and address as the recipient.

  3. Include the proclamation text below. IMPORTANT: This language must be used. It has been approved for medical accuracy by LCN’s Medical Advisory Board.

Tips

  • Make sure to include your name and address as states want the requestor to be a resident.

  • The date doesn’t matter and will vary from state to state.

  • Consider honoring a Hidden Cleft Hero by selecting their birthday as the state’s awareness day.

  • Proclamation steps will vary by state. Please email us if you need help.

  • Understand that not all states will issue a proclamation for every request. All you can do is TRY!

  • If you succeed, be SURE to announce the great news in LCN’s Facebook Community, on your social media account (please tag us), and email us so that we can include it in our newsletter.

Need help? Email us at info@laryngealcleft.org

State Proclamation Text

The following text has been approved for medical accuracy by the LCN Medical Advisory Board.

  1. Please copy and paste this text when submitting a proclamation request to your state.

  2. In the last paragraph, replace the CAPITALIZED words with your governor’s name, state, and proposed awareness day date.

  3. If you are not honoring a Hidden Cleft Hero in the proclamation, simply remove the second paragraph.

  • WHEREAS, a laryngeal cleft is an abnormal opening in the airway that causes coughing, choking, swallowing, and breathing problems. This congenital birth defect is hidden in the voice box and is very difficult to diagnose. It is not a cleft lip, palate, or submucous cleft; and 

    WHEREAS, individuals in the state of STATE NAME like HERO NAME were born with a laryngeal cleft and have courageously fought to overcome this condition; and

    WHEREAS, there are four types of laryngeal clefts, with type one being the most mild and type four being the most severe and often deadly; and 

    WHEREAS, laryngeal clefts were once thought to affect one in every 10,000 to 20,000 births, but experts now know mild clefts are much more common than originally thought. Studies now show up to 7.5 percent of children with chronic respiratory symptoms who need a rigid airway scope have a laryngeal cleft; and 

    WHEREAS, this hidden birth defect is mostly unknown by medical professionals and the general public, resulting in diagnosis delays of months or years, which causes health problems for the child and stress for their families. An undiagnosed or untreated laryngeal cleft often results in feeding difficulties, poor growth, chronic infections, dehydration, lung damage, developmental delays, and more; and 

    WHEREAS, children with feeding problems or signs of aspiration should be referred to an ear, nose, and throat doctor experienced with laryngeal clefts for further evaluation; and 

    WHEREAS, Laryngeal Cleft Network (LCN) is a nonprofit that promotes awareness, early diagnosis, and effective treatment of laryngeal clefts; and 

    WHEREAS LCN conducts awareness campaigns to help spread the news about this airway cleft, which needs to be diagnosed early and treated appropriately in order to prevent suffering and death in affected children.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, NAME, Governor of the State of STATE NAME, do hereby proclaim DATE, to be Laryngeal Cleft Awareness Day in STATE NAME, and I encourage all STATE NAME citizens to recognize this special observance through acts of service and community celebrations.