Chanel Iman Joins Smile Train as Newest Celebrity Ambassador

The American Model Partners with the World's Largest Cleft Organization to Raise Awareness for Children with Clefts and Advocate for Mothers Globally

News provided by

Smile Train

Jul 27, 2021, 09:05 ET

NEW YORK, July 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Smile Train, the world's largest cleft organization, today announced model Chanel Iman, known for her work as a Victoria's Secret Angel, as their first-ever Smile Train Celebrity Ambassador solely focused on motherhood. As a young mother of two, Chanel's goal is to advocate for and champion mothers across the globe, particularly mothers of children born with a cleft.

"Through time spent with the Smile Train team, I learned that the impact of cleft treatment on a child – and their family – is immediate," said Chanel. "As a mom, my kids are everything to me, and I would do anything to protect them. That's why I'm so honored to become an ambassador for Smile Train, to not only advocate for children living with cleft but also encourage the mothers who fearlessly fight for their children to receive treatment."

Through her mother-focused ambassadorship, Chanel hopes to raise awareness of the unique challenges mothers face with cleft-affected children while simultaneously being a holistic voice for mothers around the world.

"We believe Chanel will be the perfect voice to captivate diverse audiences surrounding the journey a cleft mother embarks on," said Nijha Diggs, Senior Director of Public Relations, Smile Train. "Like all mothers, cleft mothers are warriors. Most people think it takes one cleft surgery and the baby is completely healed. The harsh reality is that the initial surgery is only the beginning of the cleft journey. A cleft-affected baby needs extra attention for feeding, will undergo multiple surgeries, often miss many days of school, need extra emotional support and can require copious amounts of speech therapy. Additionally, oftentimes a child with a cleft will be bullied or misunderstood for their appearance. The commitment of a cleft mother is one of resilience, strength, and courage, and we could not be more thrilled to have Chanel on our team advocating for these amazing women."

Smile Train's sustainable model empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. For over 21 years, Smile Train has supported safe and quality cleft care for more than 1.5 million children and will continue to do so until every child in need with a cleft has access to the care they deserve.

To learn more about Smile Train's global efforts and to make a donation, please visit smiletrain.org. Follow Smile Train on Twitter and Instagram @SmileTrain and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/SmileTrain.

About Smile Train

Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.

About Chanel Iman

Chanel Iman is an internationally renowned supermodel, loving wife and mother to her two children, Cali and Cassie. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Chanel was discovered at an open call and made her debut during the Spring 2007 season. That year, she was the cover of Vogue's May issue photographed by Steven Meisel and was named one of the 'World's Next Top Models'. She has since walked for the world's most prestigious design houses including Bottega Veneta, McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Valentino and Missoni to name a few.

Perhaps most notably, Chanel appeared in the 50th Anniversary Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She has recently featured in advertising campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Bottega Veneta, Dsquared, Victoria's Secret, PINK, Gap, Express, and DKNY.

Chanel currently resides in New Jersey with her husband Sterling.

Media Contacts

Nijha Diggs
Smile Train
Senior Director of Public Relations
[email protected]

Lisa Benson
IMG Models
Vice President
[email protected]

SOURCE Smile Train