Nicole Gould was in her fifth month of pregnancy when the Tempe-area schoolteacher went in for a routine 20-week ultrasound. That’s when doctors diagnosed Nicole’s unborn baby with a cleft lip and palate, a craniofacial condition where the upper lip and palate do not fully close due to an opening or split in the upper lip, roof of the mouth or both.
“The experience that day and the months that followed filled my heart with emotions that were hard to explain to both myself and others,” Nicole shares. “I was joyful for the arrival of my first daughter and fearful for the hardships and surgeries she would face.”
Baby Charlotte soon arrived—an otherwise healthy little girl, except for the congenital cleft lip and palate.
Charlotte’s first surgery took place at 3 months old with the specialized craniofacial team that later became part of Phoenix Children’s. It was followed by several more throughout her childhood. While multiple surgeries are not unusual for children born with cleft and lip palate—as complications include feeding and breathing difficulties, delayed speech and dental issues—they are often scary, even traumatizing, for young patients.
“Charlotte’s team of doctors embraced our family with support and care that felt more like love than medical treatment,” Nicole says.
It was this care, perhaps more than anything, that laid the foundation for what came next. “At Charlotte’s first birthday party, we celebrated by asking partygoers to donate to Phoenix Children’s in lieu of bringing gifts,” Nicole says. “We continued this tradition for years. When Charlotte was old enough to make the decision for herself, she also chose philanthropic giving to honor the big milestones in her life.”
Taking inspiration from her family’s tradition, Charlotte began requesting donations for teddy bears to give to newborn babies at the Cleft and Craniofacial Care Center. This was the genesis for Phoenix Children’s Charley Bear Hug, a program Charlotte spearheaded that provides patients with customized bears featuring embroidered “cleft stitches” to match each child’s surgical journey—helping demystify the medical procedures ahead and offer comfort along the way.
But it wasn’t only Charlotte’s parents who planted the seed for giving back. When she was 9 years old, her grandmother introduced her to sewing, a hobby the young girl soon turned into a life-changing business: Stitches by Charlotte, a line of surgery companion dolls customized with stitched smiles and small scars to mirror those of the child receiving a doll. To date, Charlotte has created nearly 1,000 custom dolls for children throughout the U.S. and 15 countries. In summer 2026, she donated 150 dolls to Phoenix Children’s alone.
Now 18 years old and a Flinn Scholar at Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University, Charlotte is still choosing philanthropy. The teen’s dedication to raising awareness and support for children born with craniofacial conditions is nothing short of impressive.
She recently served as the president of the Phoenix Children’s Foundation Teen Council and remains a sitting member of the Craniofacial Advisory Board, where she works to prioritize the patient and provider experience. And Charlotte acts as a facial equality advocate for Operation Smile—a role she’s had since she was 10 years old—and is an advocate for the legislative bill Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA), which aims for complete healthcare coverage to anyone born with a craniofacial condition.
Charlotte credits her family and what she refers to as her extended family—the Phoenix Children’s team—for empowering her to inspire others. “They did everything to set me on this path,” she reflects.
- “Patients have power. Use your voice and your power to be the person for someone else that you needed.”CHARLOTTE GOULD
Going forward, Charlotte hopes to combine patient care and patient advocacy in meaningful ways.
“Patients have power,” she says. “Use your voice and your power to be the person for someone else that you needed.” And, she adds, using her favorite motto: “Throw kindness like confetti!”
As for Nicole, when she thinks back to the day Charlotte arrived, she feels only joy—no longer fear. “The moment she was born and placed upon my chest, I fell in love with her beautiful face and ‘perfectly imperfect’ smile, knowing I would do anything for her,” Nicole says. “Charlotte has a servant’s heart and with each idea she has shared to help others, we view it as our purpose to fulfill.”
Charlotte’s story reflects the vision behind Improve the Health of a Generation: When children receive compassionate care, they often become advocates, leaders and changemakers themselves. The impact doesn’t end with one patient—it continues through the lives they touch.
