Kia ora and welcome to the new kennyardouin.com website! You may notice that it looks a little different from what you were used to - but don't worry, you'll still find almost everything that was there before, and some things are now even easier to access than before! Plus, using kennyardouin.com is now safer than... Continue Reading →
2017 CLAPA Adults Conference
This week is UK Cleft Lip & Palate Awareness Week. Twenty-something years ago on this awareness week, I was one of the 1200 babies born annually in the UK with a cleft - my parents didn’t find out until the moment I was born. When I was 12 years old, my surgeon told me “You’ll... Continue Reading →
“Not every day is good, but there is some good in every day.” 2016: A Year in Review
2016. It’s been an extraordinary year. It’s a year that historians will talk about for decades to come, for better or for worse. Here we are, at the end of this fascinating year, which means it is time for yet another year in review open letter to you all.
Two Years On: This is Me
This is me, two years ago today on Monday 11 August 2014 having just gone through the largest of the 11 cleft related surgeries I have had to date. On this night two years ago, I was lying in a hospital bed in Ward 11 of Christchurch Hospital while some very skilled people and machines... Continue Reading →
Farewell Speech from the General Manager – 9 Dec 2015
Reposted from http://www.cleft.org.nz/farewell-speech-video-from-the-outgoing-general-manager/ Transcript and Supporting Video from Kenny Ardouin’s leaving speech, December 2015 10 and a half years – it’s longer than most marriages. And like a marriage, it’s definitely had its ups and downs – times when it is the most euphoric thing ever, and sometimes where you need a bit more convincing. But... Continue Reading →
Stand up for what’s right. Join the watchdog. Coming to the airwaves soon.
Four years ago when I left Volcano Radio after the best part of three years on air, including one very full on year of covering the Christchurch earthquakes, like every Cantabrian, I was worn out and so after the June 13 earthquake wrecked the station, I called it a day. However, with renewed passion, I... Continue Reading →
I’m Only Human on the Inside
Presented as the opening address at the Cleft New Zealand AGM, Tuesday 26 May 2015, Auckland, New Zealand
Orthognathic Surgery
Orthognathic Surgery involves correcting the jaw position so that both the top and bottom jaws align correctly with one another. It is not uncommon in cases of cleft palate for the top teeth to sit behind the bottom teeth. This creates issues for biting and chewing and also does not look normal, particularly when it comes to observing one’s profile. When there is only a minor discrepancy between top and bottom teeth, this may be able to be corrected by orthodontics, but in cases such as mine where there was a difference of almost 1cm, this needs to be corrected by a combination of orthodontic work and orthognathic surgery.
Resignation from Youthline/Youthlaw Advisory Group
After a lot of thought in recent times, it is with regret that I advise that I have resigned from my position on the Youthline and Youthlaw Urge Advisory group (YUAG) effective 4 February 2015. This was not a decision that I took lightly, however my work circumstances have changed significantly in recent years resulting... Continue Reading →
So long and thanks for all the fish – Cleft Kids New Zealand brand retired
After nearly 10 years in New Zealand, Cleft Kids New Zealand finally retired it’s last remaining asset today - it’s website. Cleft Kids NZ (or Cleft Kidz NZ as it was known back then) originally began operating on 12 September 2005. It grew since then, with sponsorship from Woosh allowing the opening of a brand... Continue Reading →
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” 2014: A Year in Review
Well here we are at the end of another year. Ordinarily, this is the time for reflection and my annual ‘year in review’ open letter. Although, it is fair to say that 2014 has been a year that has already seen much reflection throughout the year.
Registrations of Interest for a 2015 Cleft NZ Youth Camp are now open!
Our Youth Camp in December 2013 was a fantastic opportunity to bring people together from all around the country from all walks of life who were united by their experiences of being born with a cleft. This was a very fun weekend with participants taking part in many fun activities such as rock climbing, bridge... Continue Reading →
Kenny Ardouin 