Note: This story was originally reported in January 2017.
When Sara Heller was 24 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound revealed her son would be born with a cleft lip and palate. The news left her and her partner, Chris Eidam, overwhelmed at first. But after processing it, they reached one clear conclusion: their son, Brody, would always be beautiful. Determined to spread awareness and normalize the condition, the couple began sharing photos of Brody on social media.
Sara explained that they wanted to show pride in their child and help others better understand cleft lips and palates. They knew negative comments might come—but they weren’t fully prepared for them. Shortly before New Year’s, someone commented on one of Brody’s photos, asking, “What’s wrong with his face?” Instead of responding with anger, Sara chose education.
She later said she wanted to model the kind of advocacy she hopes Brody will one day show—standing up for himself and others with kindness and knowledge. Just hours after that interaction, something extraordinary happened. While out to dinner with friends, Sara was handed what looked like a folded napkin. Inside was a check for $1,000 from a stranger, with the words “For the beautiful baby” written in the memo line.
Sara was overwhelmed with emotion. The family used the money to help cover Brody’s medical expenses. He has already undergone surgery to repair his cleft lip and will need additional procedures to repair his palate. Feeding remains a challenge, and he currently relies on a feeding tube.
“The generosity of a complete stranger restored our faith in humanity,” Sara said. “It reminded us how much people care—and how strong the cleft community truly is.”