Hometown Hero: Ella Pastorelli, born with cleft lip, has raised $218G for Smile Train
Ella Pastorelli and her family have raise funds for more than a decade for the nonprofit Smile Train. Credit: Will DeVito
Ella Pastorelli’s birthday has brought a smile not only to her face, but to the faces of thousands of other kids worldwide, for more than a decade.
Pastorelli, who was born with a cleft lip, and her family have used her birthday as an opportunity to raise money each year for Smile Train, a nonprofit organization that provides corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. The conditions can be disfiguring and can also lead to difficulty talking and eating.
In total, Pastorelli has raised more than $475,000, according to Smile Train.
Pastorelli’s most recent birthday fundraiser was a gala that attracted about 250 people to Oheka Castle in Huntington on Oct. 20, which was her 16th birthday. More than $100,000 was raised through raffles, silent auctions and sponsorships from local businesses. A standard cleft lip surgery by Smile Train costs about $250, Pastorelli said.
“It all started off super small, and as the years went on it just got bigger and bigger,” said Pastorelli, who is a junior at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn. “I’m super grateful for everyone in my community that has donated over the past years and followed us on this journey.”
Pastorelli’s earlier birthday fundraisers have included one-day lemonade stands outside of her family’s house in Greenlawn. Some of the lemonade stands have also included food sales and bounce houses for children, she said.
“It’s kind of like the whole community is popping in and out, and my closer friends and family stay the whole day,” Pastorelli said.
While Pastorelli’s cleft lip was repaired during a surgery when she was four months old, her mother, Kelli, said she was initially “in shock” when her daughter was born with the birth defect. However, it has served to unite the family in the years since she was born in 2007, according to her mother.
“Everything with my husband’s life and my life had gone so ordinary, and all of a sudden there was a bump in the road we weren’t used to,” Kelli Pastorelli said. “It definitely opened our eyes to our gratitude and faith.”
Smile Train’s vice president of community development, Adina Lescher, said of Ella Pastorelli: “We feel like she has been part of our family here since the day she was born, and we couldn’t be prouder of the caring, generous, passionate young woman and cleft advocate she has grown into.”
Pastorelli plays on her school’s field hockey and mathletes teams and is a member of its Chess and Women Empowerment clubs.
NOMINATE A LONG ISLANDER who goes above and beyond or serves as an inspiration to their community. Send details and photograph to Michael Ebert, michael.ebert@newsday.com (photos should be high-resolution). Photos may be used in other publications affiliated with Newsday.
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
'Tis the season for the NewsdayTV Holiday Show! The NewsdayTV team looks at the most wonderful time of the year and the traditions that make it special on LI.
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