Somerset cricketer Tom Kohler-Cadmore hosts charity golf day for cleft lip and palate centre
Somerset cricketer Tom Kohler-Cadmore is hosting a charity golf day to raise money for a £2m cleft lip and palate centre after his son Dougie had surgery.
The Full Story
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Somerset cricketer Tom Kohler-Cadmore is raising money for a new centre for children with cleft lip and palate after his son was born with the condition and had surgery.
Dougie, who is now a year old, has had both his lip and palate repaired since the turn of the year. His parents, Tom and Melissa, described the experience of taking him for operations and seeing the change in his health and appearance.
Tom said he was the one who took Dougie down to be put to sleep, which he called a horrible experience. But he said waking up and seeing his son made him think the surgical team had done an amazing job.
Melissa said the first operation was hard to adjust to. She had become used to Dougie's first smile and seeing him after surgery broke her heart a little. She added that she now feels lucky to have had two smiles to fall in love with.
The operations have made a practical difference as well as an aesthetic one. Dougie is eating much better. His family said it had been hard to watch him struggle to eat when he had a hole in his mouth and a hole in his lip. Now, they said, he sits down and enjoys a meal and cannot wait to eat.
The family's fundraising push continued with a charity golf day. Money raised will go towards a £2 million centre within Bristol Dental Hospital. Tom has also used his cricket profile to support the cause. Last season he displayed the CLAPA logo on his cricket bat.
Tom said he is in a fortunate position because he has a platform to raise awareness. He said he is proud to give back and help the charity that has supported his family. The family said being able to talk to other parents and professionals, and to share their experiences, has been important. It helps them know they are not alone.
Melissa said their outlook has changed completely over the past year. She described the early period as scary and nervous, and said they are now happy and proud. The family want Dougie to be proud of his story too. They said they show him pictures and talk about the future. Dougie has a different smile now, but it is just as beautiful as it has always been.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Somerset cricketer Tom Kohler-Cadmore is fundraising, including through a charity golf day, for a £2 million centre at Bristol Dental Hospital for children with cleft lip and palate. | |
| Tom Kohler-Cadmore's son Dougie was born with cleft lip and palate a year ago. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West led on the personal story of Tom Kohler-Cadmore and his family, using interviews to show Dougie's surgical journey and the emotional effect on his parents. The tone was warm and human-interest focused, with the fundraising golf day and the £2 million Bristol Dental Hospital centre as the news hook. It did not question the charity's plans or give wider clinical context beyond Dougie's progress.
- “But now I feel lucky that I've had two smiles to fall in love with, which is amazing.”
- “I'm in an extremely fortunate position myself where I have a slight little bit of a platform that I am able to raise the awareness.”
- “The biggest thing is being able to talk to people, being able to share our experiences, other parents, professionals, just knowing that you're not alone in the situation.”
Who was on air
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- 13:38 BST
Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Somerset cricketer
“I'm in an extremely fortunate position myself”
BBC News at One including... · Wed 23 Sept
Broadcast Timeline
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