Charlotte Peinhardt was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate in a small town in Alabama in the 1980s. Her parents’ surprise in the delivery room was later followed by her own realization in elementary school that she looked different from other children. Charlotte shares her story of growing up with this difference even as she underwent numerous corrective surgeries that ultimately ended with an ideal cosmetic outcome. Charlotte is now a pediatric genetic counselor who specializes in craniofacial disorders, working first at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and now at Emory in Atlanta, Georgia.



Story Reference Points:

Charlotte’s birth story @ 3:17

Folic acid and CLCP @ 17:00

Growing up with CLCP @ 18:45

Luca’s birth story @ 29:10

Surgical Saga @ 35:22

Charlotte’s impromptu genetic testing @ 47:53


Charlotte Peinhardt on LinkedIn


Links and Resources

Cleft Advocate

Smile Train

The Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Association


Check out other Patient Stories podcast episodes.

Read other Patient Stories on the Grey Genetics Patient Stories Page


Do you want to support Patient Stories?
You can now make a donation online!

Want to support Patient Stories in a non-monetary way? Leave us a review on iTunes, or share your favorite episodes on Social Media.

Patient Stories on Twitter: @GreyGeneticsPod

Patient Stories on Instagram: @patientstoriespodcast


Are you looking for genetic counseling?
Patient Stories is sponsored by Grey Genetics, an independent telehealth genetic counseling and consulting company. Book an appointment with a genetic counselor specialized in your area of concern. Choose from our growing Network of Genetic Counselors. All genetic counseling appointments take place over secure, HIPAA-compliant video-conferencing or by phone.