Greenlawn Girl, 8, Born With Cleft Lip is Funding Surgeries for Children Less Fortunate

(Ella is pictured holding the sign, “A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear.”)

Ella Pastorelli, an 8-year-old from Greenlawn who was born with a cleft lip, has raised nearly $90,000 throughout her life to provide surgeries for children less fortunate.

Ella’s parents were able to provide a corrective surgery for Ella when she was just four months old, but many children across the world do not have the opportunity to get this necessary surgery. These children with unrepaired clefts can become ostracized by their communities and can oftentimes be unable to attend school, get a job, or get married.

The Pastorelli’s decided to give these children the second change that Ella had.

Ella has been holding a lemonade stand for the past eight years to raise funds for Smile Train, an international children’s charity that provides free cleft lip and palate surgeries to children in developing countries.

She has raised $87,000 over the years, which is enough for 350 surgeries, through her lemonade stand.

Ella’s Lemonade Stand has become a full-blown block party community event, complete with food and raffles.

Stop by Ella’s Lemonade Stand, located at East Maple Road in Greenlawn, on Sunday. The event begins at 10 a.m.

The year’s event, held on Ella’s eighth birthday, will help the Pastorelli’s reach over $100,000 in donations for Smile Train.

Editor’s Note: Patch originally published the wrong date of Ella’s Lemonade Stand. The correct day is Sunday.