Šťastný úsměv

Šťastný úsměv, z. s. ("Happy Smile") is a Czech non-profit volunteer association founded on 11 March 2005 and registered since 2015 as a zapsaný spolek (registered association) seated in Olomouc. Its stated mission is to demystify and de-taboo facial clefts in society, to improve the information available to parents of young patients and to patients themselves about the course and conditions of treatment, and to make the long journey toward a happy smile easier for children and adults alike. The association works with specialists from the Cleft Centre Brno (Rozštěpové centrum Brno) and shares parents' experience. Although it is a small civic association rather than a commercial enterprise, Šťastný úsměv operates a recognizable public-facing brand built around the smiling lion mascot Lippy and a catalogue of publications, films and events. Its best-known outputs include the guidebook "Pro tvůj šťastný úsměv" (For Your Happy Smile), written by Martina Kolísková and Zdeněk Dvořák; the children's book "Můj svět s kamarády"; the fantasy story "Návrat z minulosti"; a speech-therapy handbook by Michaela Chotěborová; the picture book and leporelo "Příběh Lva Lippyho"; the plush hand-puppet lion Lippy; and an annual desk calendar illustrated with photographs of children with clefts. It has also produced short documentary films such as "Od rozštěpu ke šťastnému úsměvu" and "Cesta k úsměvu", and a 2016 photobook "O rozštěpu k úsměvu" with photographs by Lenka Hatašová. The association's flagship recurring activity is the annual friendly meeting of families (přátelské setkání rodin), held each year on the last weekend of September in the recreational area at Vizovice, combining games for children with specialist lectures by doctors and cleft specialists. The 14th edition took place 26–28 September 2025, and a programme for the 2026 meeting has been announced. Šťastný úsměv also runs media outreach: its chair Anežka Rouš Dvořáková has appeared on Czech Radio Olomouc programmes, and board member Martina Kolísková has presented the association on TV Brno 1. The organization is funded and run as a volunteer civic association; it is not listed on any stock exchange and has no parent company. Its public identity rests on the Lippy lion brand, its publications and its annual family gatherings.

Šťastný úsměv was founded on 11 March 2005 as an občanské sdružení (civic association) of volunteers. Its founding purpose was to demystify and de-taboo facial clefts in Czech society and to improve the information available to parents of small patients and to patients themselves about the course and conditions of treatment. Because cleft treatment is long-term, the association set out to make that long journey toward a happy smile as pleasant as possible for children and adults. Ten years after its founding, in 2015, the organization was converted into a zapsaný spolek (registered association) under the name Šťastný úsměv, z. s., with its registered seat in Olomouc. This legal form reflects the Czech recodification of associations that took effect in 2014. Over the following years the association built a public-facing brand around the smiling lion Lippy and a growing catalogue of publications. Its guidebook "Pro tvůj šťastný úsměv", written by Martina Kolísková and Zdeněk Dvořák in cooperation with specialists, became a comprehensive guide to the treatment of facial clefts from birth to adulthood. Other titles followed: the children's book "Můj svět s kamarády" (written by Martina Kolísková, illustrated by Vendula Hegerová), aimed at pre-school and younger school-age children and their friends; the fantasy story "Návrat z minulosti" for readers from nine years old (written by Martina Kolísková, illustrated by Barbora Naomi Vavrlová); a speech-therapy handbook by Michaela Chotěborová produced with clinical speech therapists; and the picture book and leporelo "Příběh Lva Lippyho" (written by Anežka Rouš Dvořáková, illustrated by Vendula Hegerová). The plush lion hand-puppet Lippy was developed as a psychological aid to help children come to terms with their congenital defect, and an audio version of the Lippy story was narrated by Igor Dostálek. The association also produced short documentary films. "Od rozštěpu ke šťastnému úsměvu" follows the lives of children with clefts and the beginnings of parents when they learn their baby will have a congenital developmental defect. "Cesta k úsměvu" features MUDr. Zdeněk Dvořák, Ph.D., a cleft specialist from the clinic of plastic and aesthetic surgery at St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, who presents the history of clefts and comprehensive information about their treatment, alongside the views of parents, children and adults born with clefts. In 2016 the association published the photobook "O rozštěpu k úsměvu" with medallions of people accompanied by photographs by Lenka Hatašová. A central recurring activity is the annual friendly meeting of families (přátelské setkání rodin), held each year on the last weekend of September at a recreational area in Vizovice. The meetings combine bonding games for children with specialist lectures by doctors who treat clefts; parents exchange experience of treatment, care and upbringing. The 14th edition took place 26–28 September 2025, and the programme for the 2026 meeting has been announced. The association also maintains media outreach, with chair Anežka Rouš Dvořáková appearing on Czech Radio Olomouc programmes and board member Martina Kolísková presenting the association on TV Brno 1. It publishes articles and interviews continuously and collects the stories of real people with experience of facial clefts.

• Šťastný úsměv founded as an občanské sdružení (civic association).

• Converted into Šťastný úsměv, z. s., a registered association seated in Olomouc.

• Photobook O rozštěpu k úsměvu published with photographs by Lenka Hatašová.

• 14th annual friendly meeting of families held in Vizovice (26–28 September 2025).

• Second edition of the leporelo Příběh Lva Lippyho published.

• Programme announced for the 2026 traditional meeting in Vizovice.

A volunteer civic association and public-benefit brand focused on de-tabooing facial clefts, supporting families, and publishing accessible educational materials in cooperation with Cleft Centre Brno specialists.

• Pro tvůj šťastný úsměv

  A guide to the treatment of facial clefts from birth to adulthood, written by Martina Kolísková and Zdeněk Dvořák in cooperation with specialists.

• Můj svět s kamarády

  A book for pre-school and younger school-age children born with facial clefts and their friends, written by Martina Kolísková and illustrated by Vendula Hegerová.

• Návrat z minulosti

  A fantasy story for children and youth from nine years old, written by Martina Kolísková and illustrated by Barbora Naomi Vavrlová.

• Logopedická příručka

  A speech-therapy handbook for parents and adults with clefts and for clinical speech therapists, written by Michaela Chotěborová.

• Příběh Lva Lippyho

  A picture book and leporelo for the youngest children with clefts, written by Anežka Rouš Dvořáková and illustrated by Vendula Hegerová; an audio version was narrated by Igor Dostálek.

• Lippy plush lion

  A plush lion hand-puppet that helps children with clefts cope with treatment and come to terms with their congenital defect.

• Annual desk calendar

  A desk calendar published annually with photographs of children with clefts.

• Documentary films

  Short documentaries including Od rozštěpu ke šťastnému úsměvu and Cesta k úsměvu.

• O rozštěpu k úsměvu

  A 2016 photobook with medallions of people and photographs by Lenka Hatašová.

1. 1Šťastný úsměv – official websitestastny-usmev.cz
2. 2Šťastný úsměv – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Šťastný úsměv – Czech Wikipediacs.wikipedia.org