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In Ethiopia there are only a handful of known surgeons that have the skills and capabilities to provide reconstructive surgery to patients suffering from Cleft lips and palates. With a population of over seventy million the need for Operation Smile and it’s medical volunteers is never greater. Operation Smile provide free reconstructive surgery and all the aftercare needed including dentistry, psychological therapy and speech therapy to every patient it treats. Additionally, Operation Smile provides all the equipment and training needed to ensure every patient receives the best possible care, every time.
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Children born with a facial deformities will live a lifetime of isolation and fear. They are afraid to go to school because they are bullied and many are ostracized from their communities as they are believed to be cursed. However, the medical complications far outweigh the stigma of an individuals’ looks. These children encounter incredible obstacles, including a higher rate of respiratory infections, malaria, tuberculosis, malnourishment and other infectious diseases. Clefts hamper a child’s ability to breath, eat, drink and speak and all too often, Clefts can be fatal. As the 3rd most common birth defect worldwide, it is estimated every 2 ½ minutes a child is born with this tragic facial deformity and still millions have never received treatment. Yet in as little as 45 minutes, Operation Smile can repair a child’s cleft lip and change their life, forever. Since 2005, Operation Smile has provided over 900 children and young adults with free reconstructive surgery and has given thousands more medical evaluations and dental care in four key areas of Ethiopia; Addis Ababa, Jimma, Mekele and Axum. In October 2009, Operation Smile will return to Addis Ababa with an international team of medical volunteers who will selflessly give their time over a ten day project, to provide a further hundred and fifty patients with free life changing surgery. Working closely with other voluntary organisations to promote the awareness of the project and to help patients travel to the hospital , Operation Smile will provide the necessary aftercare and speech therapy needed to patients and invite each one back to the hospital for further assessment after 6 and 12 months, ensuring that every one receives the best possible care. The cost of the project includes the shipment of all the medical equipment and supplies needed for the project, the staffing (including Surgeons, Anethetists, Paediatric Intensivist, Nurses, Speech Therapist, Psychologists and dentists), transportation and lodging. Total Cost of Project: £65,145. To find out more about Operation Smile, please visit www.operationsmile.org.uk