Operation Smile Provides 967 Surgeries for Children in India
Operation Smile brought together a team of 244 medical volunteers from 19 countries to carry out a milestone medical project in Guwahati, India, that provided 1,871 free medical evaluations and 967 facial reconstructive surgeries for children and young adults suffering from cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities.
During a twenty-day period, from 30 January - 18 February 2010, two teams of local and international volunteers, including medical professionals, students, and members of the local community, worked side-by-side to bring new smiles to the largest number of patients during a single medical project ever conducted in India.
This milestone achievement was the biggest project ever attempted by Operation Smile in its 28 year history and is the first of many more large scale programs which will treat thousands of children across India. This mega project followed a previous 18-day medical project, held December 2-19, 2009 in Guwahati, where 509 children born with facial deformities were given new smiles.
"Bill and I are continually inspired by the dedication and commitment of our volunteers. We will forever remember the honest care and compassion that they delivered to the thousands of patients that were seen over these weeks. We returned home from Guwahati humbled by this experience and further pledge our continued support for the children of Assam. With the help of Mr. Ratan Tata and government leaders, a cleft-free state will soon become closer to a reality – we look forward to seeing those smiles return," said Kathy Magee, President and Co-founder.
On 27 & 28 January 2010 prior to the project, two education and Basic Life Support training programs were conducted reinforcing our commitment to not only creating new smiles, but also ensuring that every child Operation Smile treats receives quality care every time. The goal of Operation Smile training programs is to move towards sustainable programs conducted at the local level. The program trained 21 nurses from the MMC Hospital and 16 members of the local medical community in Basic Life Support (BLS). All of whom successfully achieved BLS certification; additionally 51 student volunteers from local colleges were certified in CPR.
Operation Smile’s work in India is representative of the organisation’s global effort to bring high quality care to areas of the world that have a tremendous need for cleft lip and cleft palate treatment. Operation Smile has been working closely with the Assam government, and last year entered into a public-private partnership with the state of Assam to treat children with facial deformities within the region.
Operation Smile’s first project to India was in 2002 and is scheduled to return to Guwahati in May 2010.
Jenier, Mangua, Nicaragua
7 year old Jenier was born with a cleft lip. He lives in a village in one of the coffee growing regions in the northern part of Nicaragua.
Since Jenier was born he was always sick. His parents struggled to find anyone to help them as they could not afford the surgery that he needed. A local coffee exporter took Jenier his local town where they provided a bus to take him and his mother on the long 8 hour drive to the Operation Smile Medical Project in the Nicaraguan capital city of Managua. They arrived tired but hopefully and their efforts were rewarded when Jenier was examined and he was healthy enough to receive surgery.
Six month later our volunteers travelled to see Jenier and see how he was getting on. His father Eduardo told us , “We had a lot of struggles. I’m thankful God gave us this opportunity, I always wanted Jenier to be a normal kid and to not be afraid of anything. I thanked God when I saw him after his surgery. He is the same as other kids and he is no longer ashamed and he will grow up happy.”
Help us raise 50 new smiles with Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest and Scope Outlast will donate 50 SMILES to Operation Smile if this video reaches 500,000 views!
Watch this video of Ryan and his mom getting "flash mobbed" on their Valentine's Day lunch and share this link - http://bit.ly/scopesmiles - with all of your friends!
Watch Operation Smile at work in Haiti
Harrison Ford Helps Operation Smile's Relief Efforts in Haiti
Actor Harrison Ford was able to lend a hand yesterday and today by flying our medical volunteers and supplies in three separate trips from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, into Hinche, Haiti, where our team is providing surgery for earthquake victims.
First, we sent the surgical team members across the border with Mr. Ford, so they could immediately hit the ground running. We sent a total of 14 volunteers in two trips yesterday, and at 8 a.m. today we sent our last 6 volunteers with Mr. Ford on his Cessna 208 Caravan that he piloted.
Our team will be able to get a full day of surgery in today and additional supplies are on the way.
Thanks to Mr. Ford, we were able to get our volunteers and supplies safely into Hinche much more quickly to begin our collaboration with Partners in Health and help the patients who are still in dire need for urgent medical care.
Much appreciation and thanks to Mr. Ford for his support of Operation Smile!
Operation Smile Responds to Urgent Need in Haiti
Like you, our hearts broke as we saw the horrendous suffering in Haiti. Children screaming in pain from untreated cuts and broken limbs, rampant Gangrene and thousands suffering from untreated deadly infections.
As tragic news stories kept coming out of Haiti, we were determined to do what we could to mobilise our resources and reach those people who desperately needed our help.
Operation Smile has flown in 20 highly skilled surgeons, anaesthetists, critical care nurses and other medical professionals - all experts in setting up surgical sites in challenging conditions. In addition to this we have also sent several tons of supplies, sutures, syringes, gloves, gowns, operating tables — everything to set up and equip operating rooms and perform safe surgeries on suffering earthquake victims.
Since arriving in Haiti last week Operation Smile and our medical team have provided surgery for over 100 Haitians who needed urgent medical care following the earthquake.
Sally Stevens one of our Nurse Volunteers on the ground in Haiti said on Sunday “Church was today, as it is Sunday. You cannot believe peoples spirits here. There they are sitting with a broken arm and a leg amputation - hurting and broken, singing, raising hands in worship, and thanking God for their lives. It is an incredible inspiration.
We get new patients every day from other facilities, and there is just so much to be done between surgery, recovering patients, dressing changes, addressing pain, antibiotics, food, clothing, etc. but despite all of that, I love working here. The patients are just so lovely, singing softly and always thanking for any little thing. They have suffered such a lot.”
Please help us to help more children and adults in Haiti
Blue Peter Send a Smile Appeal – UPDATE
We have been and delighted at the response we have had from our Send a Smile Appeal. Thousands and thousands of primary school children across the country have made absolutely wonderful gowns for our Send a Smile Appeal! Our aim was to get 20,000 gowns by Christmas and we have smashed that target and are now busy counting and packing gowns to be sent all over the world for children to wear during their operations.
Blue Peter will be announcing our final total in a month’s time and we will let you know when to watch.
In the meantime if you live in London and have some time on your hands we are looking for volunteers to help us to count and pack gowns so that we can ship them and get them to our patients as soon as possible. If you would like to help us please contact us on 020 8576 5660 or email on sendasmile@operationsmile.org.uk
Ly, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
3½ year old Ly was born with both a cleft lip and cleft palate. Her parents have very little money and only a small piece of land to live off. To make ends meet they work as farm labourers for other people in their province in Southern Vietnam.
When Ly was 18 months old, her parents brought her to the Operation Smile Medical Project at the National Hospital for Odonto & Stomatology in Ho Chi Minh City where she was lucky to be selected and received surgery for her cleft lip. Until her parents came to the Medical Project they had never seen another child with a cleft and were relieved to see that Ly wasn’t the only child to be born with this facial deformity. They were so happy to learn that such a simple operation could repair her lip.
Although Ly now looks beautiful she still has problems eating, drinking and speaking due to her cleft palate. We are looking forward to welcoming Ly and her family back at our next medical project in Ho Chi Minh City so that we can repair her palate and she can live her life like any other little girl.
Currys go the extra smile
Currys Megastore in the West Midlands held a Blue Peter Send a Smile day in their store last weekend. They set up a studio at the front of the store and invited children to take part and supplied all the t-shirts and art materials needed. Kelvin Fradley Senior Retail Manager and the store’s staff gave up their time for this hugely successful event which really captured the spirit of the Appeal.
Currys staff and local children managed to make a fantastic 320 hospital gowns taking us that bit closer to our 20,000 gown target!
To find out more about Operation Smile and Blue Peter’s Send a Smile Appeal please click here – can we link to our blue peter landing page
Arthur, Fortaleza, Brazil
3 year old Arthur who came to our recent medical project in Fortaleza, Brazil was not only born with a bilateral cleft lip, he was also born without hands or feet. Arthur quickly stole our team members’ hearts as he ran around the hospital spreading his smile and his everlasting energy. So, you can imagine our heartbreak when Arthur did not return to the hospital to receive his surgery.
However, our team was determined to give Arthur a new smile no matter what it took! Arthur’s family did not have a phone, so calls were made to anyone and everyone in his town so we could track him down and bring him to the hospital. Neighbours were called, the town’s priest was called, and eventually even the town’s mayor was contacted. The mayor was not only able to locate Arthur but he provided transportation for him and his family to come to the hospital so Arthur could receive his surgery.
Arthur’s story is a good example of what can be accomplished when you combine a “can do” attitude, a little teamwork, and a lot of passion for the work you are doing.
One Man, One Boat, One Ocean & 40 new smiles!
Solo sailor Roberto Westerman raced across the Atlantic, to raise as many smiles as he could for in the OSTAR (the Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race) 2009.
Some of the world’s greatest sailors have taken part including; Eric Tabarly, Pete Goss, Loick Peyron, Francis Joyon, Mike Golding, Michel Desjoyeaux and Ellen MacArthur. The Atlantic is the only judge and allows no room for mistakes, emphasising that the race truly is inspired by legends and sailed by heroes
After 19 gruelling days at sea Roberto was 3rd across the finishing line in Newport, Rhode Island. An amazing achievement, especially as on just day three Roberto encountered rudder problems and had to make ongoing repairs while underway, impairing his speed for the rest of the race!
Roberto was sponsored by Welling Corner Dental Practice on the condition that he also raised money for Operation Smile. In addition to the sponsorship, Dr Heidweiller, Associate Dentist at Welling Corner, agreed to give £1 to Operation Smile for every nautical mile that Roberto sailed, approximately 3,000 nautical miles.
Dr Heidweiller was keen to develop an association with Operation Smile and to support their work and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to begin. Erik Lijesen, the Principal Dentist at Welling Corner was also keen to get on board. "We wanted children worldwide to also benefit from the sponsorship and so are delighted that through Roberto's participation in the race, we are also helping to raise essential funds for Operation Smile, a charity whose work we have long admired for their high standard of care for every child every time." - Erik Lijesen, Welling Corner Dental Practice
When times got tough during the race, when Roberto was amidst thick fog and fearing ice burgs, cold, damp and exhausted, he knew he had to keep going and one of his greatest inspirations at this time, was the fact that he had to finish to change as many children’s lives he possibly could. The total amount Roberto has raised so far is a fantastic £6,000 which will change 40 children’s lives, forever
DKNY 20th Birthday Chari.Tee for Operation Smile
To mark the 20th birthday of DKNY, Donna Karan wanted to give something back and has teamed up with Operation Smile to produce a stylish new T-shirt.
Chari-Tee is a charitable program between DKNY and those who love and wear it. So when you buy a DKNY Chari-Tee, a portion of the proceeds benefit Operation Smile.
The idea for having a bunch of celebrities design some T-shirts for charity began in New York where DKNY donated profits from their Chari-Tee sales to five causes. The designated charities were all New York based, with the idea being that the NY label was repaying the inspiration that New York gives to DKNY. Now to celebrate their 20th birthday DKNY have launched the international version, with proceeds going to Operation Smile.
As Donna Karan said 'the best philanthropy has style. Chari-Tee is one of my favourites, because you get to wear your heart on your sleeve".
Well no one can deny that these t-shirts have style, and if you're donating to charity at the same time then there's no excuse not to buy one!
The funky black and white tees, pictured above are available from the DKNY boutique on Old Bond St and in Harrods, priced £65
Mosimann’s Challenge – It’s no mean feast!
Brothers Mark & Philipp Mosimann along with Jenna Eastlake faced one of the most gruelling races on the planet, they ran 250 kilometres, the equivalent of 5 consecutive marathons in just 7 days across the Namibian Desert. Why did they take past in this arduous adventure? To raise a phenomenal £35,000 for Operation Smile and to change the lives of hundreds of children, forever.
Philipp, Mark and Jenna spent a year training for this ultra marathon, coping with long and demanding training sessions in all kinds of weather. To step across the finish line for this punishing race you have to complete six stages ranging from 40 – 100 kilometres. Even the first stage is a real test. In Fish River canyon, our runners had to battle their way over stony, sandy surfaces and rugged cliffs. Several river crossings were also included en route. “After 30 kilometres I was down on all fours” said Philipp “The combination of sand and water in my shoes did the rest”, by the end of the first day Philipp could barely feel his feet.
In contrast to other runners, who constantly munched on energy bars our boys preferred more basic food, “Nuts, raisins & jelly babies – that’s my secret recipe, along with diced salami” said Philipp. Competitors had to carry all their own equipment and food; they were only provided with water and a place in a tent at the end of each day. It’s a far cry from Mosimann’s Private Dining Club that has just celebrated it’s 20th year, which was established by their father the Michelin starred chef Anton Mosimann and is managed by Philipp and Mark,
On the forth day the hardened runners encountered what was by far the most demanding stretch: 100 kilometers, against a backdrop of sand dunes and scorching heat. “That was the worst day of my life”, Philipp Mosimann concedes “The soles of my feel were already covered in blisters when I got up. I thought to myself “what madness, when will it end?” It took until after nightfall for me to more of less suppress the pain.”
Philipp ranked 65th with a time of 49 hours and 14 minutes, Mark finished just behind him in 49 hours and 47 minutes and Jenna in 52 hours and 35 minutes an incredible achievement and we would like to thank them all for taking time out of their busy lives to endlessly train and compete in this adventure and to raise so much to help change the lives of so many children.
Driving Dotty are Hannah, Caroline & Christophe who are taking part in this years Mongol Rally in aid of Operation Smile. They are setting off from Goodwood on the 18th July 2009 and driving an ambulance to Ulan Bator the capital of Mongolia in aid of Operation Smile.
The Mongol Rally is not for the faint hearted, there is no back-up no support, no set route adventure. Our intrepid team will take on up to 15 countries and 10,000 miles' worth of mountains, deserts, bad roads, no roads, bandits and various other pickles.
The team had planned to follow a route across Europe to Turkey (this first leg should be pretty straightforward) and then through Iran (or not), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia to reach their destination in Mongolia.
The friends have also had the ingenious idea of selling advertising dots (hence the name) of all sizes. Give Driving Dotty £100 or more and you can advertise your business on the side of Dotty.
"We're hoping for an amazing experience but the generosity of people has been the real highlight so far," Hannah concluded.
BUPA, the UK's leading provider of private health insurance and health care services has recently partnered with Operation Smile to help develop 3 Comprehensive Care Centre’s across India providing free reconstructive surgery to patients with cleft lips and palates.
The Centres, in their first year aim to provide free reconstructive surgery to an additional 400 children each year. The first of these was opened in the State of Andhra Pradesh in April and representatives from BUPA Giving joined Operation Smile in Assam to lay the foundation stone of the second Centre in Guwahati.
An array of dignitaries gathered for this historic occasion, whereby the Honourable Chief Minister of Assam, the Honourable Minister of Health, Co-Founders of Operation Smile Dr and Mrs Magee as well as senior representatives from BUPA opened the first Operation Smile Comprehensive Cleft Care Centre in the North East of India.
The site was chosen after an enormous patient turnout at the first project undertaken at the hospital. With some additional research, findings showed that an estimated 30,000 patients were awaiting cleft surgery in the state of Assam. Further to this, as many as 800 babies are born every year with cleft deformities, highlighting the urgent need for free reconstructive surgery.
During the Centre opening, the 2nd project at this hospital was taking place, whereby over 70 international and local medical volunteers screened and examined 367 patients and provided 226 children with life changing surgery – truly changing their lives, forever.
Recruitment Opportunity
Direct Marketing Manager
Having just delivered our first direct marketing test campaign, we are looking for an experienced direct marketing manager to drive forward this successful new initiative.
You will be responsible for assisting the Executive Director in formulating the direct marketing strategy across multiple media channels as part of our on-going development plan.
You will have a minimum of 3 years' experience in a direct marketing environment, preferably with some management experience.
The closing date is Monday 2nd March
Interviews will be held in London on 5th and 6th March.
An Operation Smile student volunteer’s experience on a medical project was the inspiration for the feature film “Smile” staring Beau Bridges
“Katie signs up for a trip to China, where she meets a girl who has a deformity that discourages her from ever showing her face. Their friendship helps her to see life differently.”
Showing this March on True Movies on Saturday 28th March at 06:00 and Wednesday 1st April at 10:00.
We wanted to share with you some wonderful news that we have just received. Since 1993, Dr Phil McDonald has volunteered as a Lead Anaesthetist on missions across the world and has championed the development of our work in Ethiopia for over 5 years. Additionally, he has generously given his time to serve on the Operation Smile UK Board as the Medical Director and credentials each application we receive from prospective volunteers willing to give their time.
I am absolutely delighted that Phil has very deservedly been award Volunteer of the Year out of over 5000 medical volunteers worldwide.
I am sure you will join me congratulating him of this very worthy achievement.
Phil, thank you for all you do.
Caring Abby goes to great lengths
A 10-YEAR-old girl who completed a stamina-sapping swim for charity has raised enough cash to help five children undergo life-changing operations to correct facial deformities.
Abby Stark, from Eccleston, completed 100 lengths of Scotchbarn Baths in Prescot in 1 hour 37 mins, raising £777.
While most schoolgirls her age are following the latest boy band or tinkering with the latest gadget, Abby is busy conjuring up ideas to raise money for charitable causes.
After considering several options, she decided to help the charity, Operation Smile, which helps children with cleft lips and palates and facial defects She said: “I wanted to do something for charity and my dad had told me about this one that fixed children’s smiles. I kept asking him could I do something, until eventually he said yes.”
Her proud dad, Stephen, aged 45, said: “I have to thank John, the duty manager at Scotchbarn Baths, who was a great help.
“He kept one lane open specifically for Abby to complete her swim.”
Beaming mum, Lynn, 48, added: “Abby once made her dad leave a Saints game early when they announced the plans for a new stadium.
“She turned round and asked why were they spending millions on a new ground when the rain forests were in so much danger.
“That just sums her up.”
by Stephen Mather
communitynewsgroup.com
Operation Smile Volunteer honoured by Her Majesty The Queen
Wing Commander Ankur N Pandya awarded the The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem
Operation Smile is proud to announce that Wing Commander Ankur N Pandya, Regional Medical Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa has been awarded The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem by Her Majesty The Queen.
The Order of St John traces its origins back 900 years to the Knights Hospitaller from whom St John today derives its inspiration and maxims – Pro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominum, 'For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity.'
I spoke to Ankur on receiving the Order of St John and asked him what this award means to him. He said “It honours Operation Smile … It is recognition of the work being done by Operation Smile all over the world both in terms of its missions as well as its teaching programme. It also is an award to the Defence Medical Services for the encouragement that they have given me for my regular participation with Operation Smile Activities”
Ankur works phenomenally hard for Operation Smile, taking part in numerous missions every year and giving up so much of his valuable time. He does all this and more as one of our wonderful medical volunteers, we cannot thank him enough and are delighted that his efforts have been recognised by being awarded The Order of St John.
An Indian Summer of Smiles
Operation Smile UK are delighted to report on India’s first Comprehensive Care Centre!
The centre which opened in April 2008 at the Kalpataru Hospital situated just outside Kolkata, was funded by generous donations collected during our events programme earlier this year. Volunteers have been working in this region since 2005 and have already completed 500 surgeries, however with the increased awareness of Operation Smile’s work, many more cases have come to light and the backlog of untreated and unrecorded clefts in this region, is forever growing.
The centre is already on target to provide free cleft surgery to more than 450 patients in the first year. Working with a local team of 350 medical volunteers throughout India and further support from all our international foundations, Operation Smile is taking its first steps towards a cleft free India.
As well as making great progress with its sustainable development, Operation Smile India will continue to run a large of number of projects across the country, ensuring as many patients as possible receive treatment. In June, one such project in Vijayawada, saw a team of 60 volunteers from 7 different countries coming together and giving new smiles to 93 patients.
Following this was a project in Hyderabad which took place despite the massive flooding which displaced 40,000 people. In spite of this 157 families continued their journey through the monsoons to be screened by Operation Smile medical volunteers. Of those we were able to help, 112 patients received free reconstructive surgery in just 6 days. One of the UK volunteers included the Pediatric Intensivist, Karthik from Stafford.
Q-Med raise £10,000
Biotechnology company Q-Med have continued their ongoing support of Operation Smile by raising nearly £10,000 through their 'Science Proven' conference.
Held at the Royal College of Physicians on the 12th September 2008 the conference saw many leaders in the field of natural enhancements come together for a stimulating day of talks and networking.
Staff member Rose Longhurst attended the event to meet the delegates and collect a giant cheque for the amazing sum of £9,570 from Anna Eriksrud, General Manager for Q-Med UK Ltd.
This is a truly stunning amount, and one of the largest donations of this kind OSUK have ever had. Everyone at Operation Smile is incredibly grateful for Q-Med's continuing support and the generosity of everyone who attended the conference.
Business, Pleasure and Philanthropy!
What our fundraisers have been up to!
2008 was a phenomenal year for fundraisers who have kindly donated their time and efforts to raise funds and awareness for Operation Smile UK. We are truly grateful for all your continued support and achievements to help our efforts to change the lives of children affected with facial deformities.
There are so many people to thank and sadly we don't have enough room to list all your stories, but following is just a taste of what some of our fundraisers have been up to! Thank you all!
Smiles are all around at the Lovelock wedding
Congratulations to Linda and Kevin Lovelock who were married on the 7th of June in Berkshire. The happy couple very generously decided to swap their wedding presents for donations to Operation Smile; ‘We chose a charity that represented new beginnings and a fresh chance in life. It is the second time around for both Kevin and I and we already have 2 toasters!’.
Linda actually chose to support Operation Smile in memory of a young child she remembers from her childhood, who was sadly returned to a children’s home after adoption because her new parents didn’t want a child with a cleft lip. Thanks to you both and all your friends and family for giving 13 children a new start in life.
6 miles for 14 smiles
Simon, Wafa, Cathy, Balaji and Ben took to the streets of London on the 6th July running the British ACIS 10k London run for Operation Smile. Balaji who crossed the finish line in just under 60 minutes was literally running for his wife as she was expected to give birth on the same day! ‘I thought I might be racing to hospital in time to see our second baby delivered!’ he commented. Despite the rain it was a great sense of achievement for all the runners who raised £3,000 for Operation Smile projects. We have some more places already confirmed for July 2009 so please hurry and contact kate.mckeand@operationsmile.org.uk to book your place now to avoid disappointment!
Murray’s Miracle
Guy and Yvonne’s son Murray was born with a cleft lip and palate in November 2007. Murray a happy, thriving baby had his lip and palate repaired when he was only 8 months old. Seeing the transformation of Murray motivated Guy, with the help of his wife Yvonne to raise urgently needed funds for Operation Smile, so that children who are not as lucky as Murray, will also have access to free treatment in the developing world.
‘We feel so fortunate about the care Murray received in this country and know that this is not the case worldwide. Our target was simply to raise enough money for 10 operations for overseas kids born with cleft lips and palates’.
Guy and Yvonne actually exceeded their personal target and have raised enough funds for 15 new smiles, after taking part and successfully completing the grueling Chester Triathlon.
Inside Amsterdam
Paul Clutterbuck one of our regular fundraisers is continuing his support of Operation Smile with the recent publication of his first book – ‘Inside Amsterdam’, a wonderful and personal insight into the bars and cafes of the City. Very generously, a donation from the sale of this book will be made to Operation Smile.
Operation Smile Celebrity Cricket Tournament 2008
We were delighted for those who were able to join us at the 2008 Celebrity Cricket Day and dinner, it was a fantastic day! This action packed day saw fantastic weather combined with eight teams playing excellent cricket. Incisive Media took the title as overall winners but not without a tough game against Agilisys.
As the sun set over the cricket ground guests enjoyed a colourful array of Bollywood dancers and enjoyed tales from the field from South African Graeme Smith and England Legend Andrew Strauss. We were also delighted to be joined by many other sporting heroes which included Demetrios Mascarenhas, Jeremy Snape and James Cracknell. The evening ended with guests dancing into night.
Operation Smile successfully raised in the region of £100,000 which is a remarkable achievement. This money will go towards supporting a new project in Bolpur which will provide much needed surgery for over 125 children. We will be able to change the lives of so many children suffering from cleft lips and palates, and this would not be possible without you, so thank you for all your support and generosity.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to keep free the 14th July 2009 for our 5th Annual Cricket Day and Dinner which promises to be yet another fantastic event packed with sporting legends.
Angus Lawson Dental Department Opens in Morocco
Representative from the Trust visits the new Casablanca Care Centre
Dentistry is vital for all children, and especially so for those with cleft lips and palates. Therefore Operation Smile Morocco are very grateful to The Angus Lawson Memorial Trust for sponsoring the dental wing in their new Comprehensive Care Centre in Casablanca.
A representative from the Trust visited Morocco to unveil a plaque and see the work taking place at the Angus Lawson Dental Department. Thanks to their generosity, the Centre boasts state-of-the-art equipment, which allows Operation Smile Morocco's 48 dental volunteers to treat hundreds of children each week.
On the day that Fie from the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust visited the Centre, 57 children were treated. Fie witnessed revolutionary techniques being practised to help babies with cleft palates have needs addressed at a younger age as well as sophisticated dentistry being provided to orphans from the nearby SOS Village Orphanage.
Operation Smile Morocco are currently treating hundreds of children a week as well as undertaking training, speech therapy and psychology. Their aim is to care for a stunning 5,000 children in their first year.
OSUK Sponsors First Kenya Project of 2008
113 children are treated
Operation Smile UK sponsored the first project to take place in Kenya since the post-election trouble earlier this year. An enthusiastic team of volunteers from around the world worked for seven days to provide free medical evaluations to all 225 patients who arrived at the site in Meru, central Kenya. A total of 113 patients received free, life-changing surgery.
Hedge Fund Fite Night is a Real Hit!
Fourth Annual Boxing Match Packs a Real Punch
This year's Hedge Fund Fight Nite at Old Billingsgate market packed a mean punch in the city's turbulent financial markets after raising in the region of £140,000 for Operation Smile UK. For the fourth year the brave and the bold traded their suits and ties for shorts and gloves in the city's most famous white-collar boxing event. It was amazing to see the boys from Hedge Funds go up against their rivals in the Private Equity boutiques.
Amongst the 500 attendees were boxing legends Steve Collins, Barry McGuigan and rugby heroes John Conteh and Paul Sacki. Ogier's Ahmed Kahn was awarded top prize, 'Fight of the Night', after 3 gruelling bouts. Also packing a big financial punch was Man Financial's Luke 'The Wild Boy' Turpin who stepped into the ring against Dick Munton.
A special thanks goes to Luke Turpin after his efforts raised over £13,000 for Operation Smile UK!
2. Find the wedding gallery - click on the "login" under Operation Smile Fight Nite
4. Enter the following passwords:
username - operationsmile
password - boxing
Happy New Year From Operation Smile UK!
Chairman's Statement
It has been yet another a wonderful year for Operation Smile UK and our thanks are extended to all of you who continue to support us, by attending events, your innovative fundraising ideas and helping us to continue to spread the word about the work we do.
2007 marked the 5th Anniversary of Operation Smile UK and the 25th Anniversary of the organisation globally. Through the hard work and dedication of so many of our volunteers, we were able to screen over 7,000 patients during this week long global mission and provided free reconstructive surgery to over 4,000 patients, changing their lives forever.
We start 2008 with a full calendar of fundraising events and activities which we hope you will once again be able to join us on! Here is just a taste of what to expect;
4th June 2008 The 4th Hedge Fund Fight Nite
In its now 4th year and as one of the City's most challenging fundraising events, the Hedge Fund Fight Nite 2008, will see representatives from the Private Equity and Hedge Fund communities slogging it out in the boxing ring! This event continues to grow from year to year so to avoid disappointment, please hold the date and mark your interest now with Operation Smile.
4th July 2008 4th Annual Cricket Day
Now an established part of our event calendar where corporate teams have the opportunity to play against cricket celebrities, we will be hosting this years event at the Bank of England Sports Ground in West London. This is your chance to play alongside cricketing legends which last year included Nasser Hussain, Andrew Strauss, Jeremy Snape and Simon Hughes! Please put this date in your diary now!
6th July 2008 The ASICS British 10K London Run!
We have only 6 places remaining for budding athletes hoping to take part in this internationally renowned race throughout the heart of historic London! To find out more and to reserve your place, please contact alex.talbot@operationsmile.org.uk for more information.
17th September 2008 Bisley Shoot for Smiles!
Building on the success of this years inaugural event, our 2nd Bisley Clay Shoot takes place back at the world famous ground in Surrey. Step back in to the Victorian splendour that is Bisley Camp and with some of the countrys leading shotgun coaches. Enjoy an action packed day at Snipers Gully and try your aim at the highest clay pheasants in the country! This is fantastic day out for the experienced or novice shot!
So please diary all these dates now to avoid any disappointment and we will send you the detailed information you need shortly. In the meantime, it remains for me to thank you for your support of Operation Smile UK. In 2007 we've raised over £600 000 for children in Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Ethiopia and India. With your valuable help we have changed the lives of many vulnerable and neglected children, allowing them to have the childhood they so deserve.
On behalf of the Trustees and Staff of Operation Smile UK, I would like to wish you and your families a very happy and a prosperous new-year.
With warm regards,
Manoj Badale
Chairman, Operation Smile United Kingdom
It is smiles all round with Huggies® Nappies!
Huggies Super-Dry ®, the leading nappy brand of the global health and hygiene company Kimberley Clark, have recently formed a partnership with Operation Smile UK to launch the Super Smiler competition!
This cause related marketing campaign, invites members of the general public to upload a photograph of their baby onto the site and to vote for who you think is the super smiler! For every entry, 10p will be donated to Operation Smile UK.
So go on, help us to create smiles and change lives!
Operation Smile UK embarks on the World Journey of Smiles
25th Anniversary Celebrations
On the 8th November 2007, a groundbreaking medical mission was launched worldwide to treat an estimated 5,000 children suffering from facial disfigurements, the largest number of patients ever treated before in one week.
This groundbreaking humanitarian mission to provide free re-constructive surgery to children and young adults around the world marked the 25th Anniversary of the organization.
UK Volunteers were amongst some of the 1,700 medical staff who took part in this remarkable journey, changing the lives of thousands of children in some of the world's poorest countries who, as a result of their disfigurement, have experienced abandonment and isolation from society. This was the largest co-ordination of medical volunteers amassed to treat children and young adults with facial disfigurements.
Operation Smile volunteers in Vijayawada, India were also joined by the TV Soap Celebrity Wendi Peters (aka Cilla Battersby-Brown) from Coronation Street. Wendi, the much-loved actress who made her name playing one of the most colourful characters in soap history has a six-year-old daughter, Gracie and it was her role as a mother that first attracted her to Operation Smile: "I've raised more than a few smiles in my time as Cilla but as a mother I know how important a smile can be for a child. Sharing a child's first smile is really magical. It's the most basic form of communication and is absolutely crucial to forming relationships. I'm thrilled to be accompanying Operation Smile on the World Journey of Smiles and I really look forward to seeing first hand how a simple Operation can change a child's life forever."
Wendi will be reporting on her visit to India on GMTV with Lorraine Kelly, on Tuesday 20th November from 08.30am.
A Volunteer's Story
Angela Wayt decided to become a volunteer after hearing about the amazing work Operation Smile does throughout the world
A Pre and Post Op Nurse of 11 years, Angela wanted to extend her skills to people who may not have or may not be able to get access to specialist treatment and care. So one day, she contacted Operation Smile and applied for a volunteer position. Angela did not have all the necessary paediatric qualifications needed to work as a medical volunteer with Operation Smile. This however didn’t deter her and so she furthered her training and became qualified in Paediatric Advanced Life Support and found herself on her first project in Jordan in 2004.
Angela’s most recent project took her to Madagascar in 2008, where a team of over 52 dedicated volunteers from 7 different countries worked together, providing 433 patients with a full medical screening and gave new smiles to 211 individuals, who had only dreamed of this surgery. As well as giving her skills and expertise to patients, Angela also believes she benefited greatly from her own personal experiences and interaction with a variety of cultures. ‘As a pre/post-op nurse, I am heavily involved with the families and patients from the first point of contact during the screening procedure - right up to the time the patients are discharged. I think it is wonderful that Operation Smile offer an on-going care programme to patients after their surgery in the form of dentistry and speech therapy. It means that every patient can leave feeling they have received the best possible care. I find the volunteer work at Operation Smile extremely rewarding and it gives me a huge sense of personal achievement’.
If you are a nurse like Angela or an anaesthetist, surgeon, plastic surgeon, speech therapist, bio-med technician or dentist and interested in volunteering please email: kate.mckeand@operationsmile.org.uk
Operation Smile UK volunteers have participated in projects in India, Madagascar, Jordon, Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya, Papa New Guinea, Cambodia, Senegal and Russia in 2008 alone.
June 2000 BBC1 Documents the Work of Operation Smile in "The Facemakers"
The Facemakers, a documentary produced by London based Century Films and broadcast on the BBC and Discovery Channel, has helped spread the world about Operation Smile's mission in the Philippines and around the world.
The program documents the remarkable changes that occurred in the lives of three children as a result of Operation Smile's visit to Davao City in the Philippines in 1999.
Two of the children received surgery during the mission. Nine-year-old Rozal Garces was treated for her cleft lip, and four-year-old Amorjoy Felipe had a cleft lip and palate revision. The third child, Abel Gastardo, had a condition too severe to be treated during an Operation Smile mission. Abel suffered from a facial encephalocele, a protrusion of brain tissue from the front of his skull.
Seven months later, a British film crew followed Abel to the United States, where he had been brought by Operation Smile through its World Care Program, to receive surgery in Norfolk, Virginia at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters.
The surgery was performed by Dr. William Magee, craniofacial surgeon and founder of Operation Smile. After removing the encephalocele, Abel's skull and nose were reconstructed. After 12 long hours in the operating room, the surgery was complete with no complications. Just a month later, Abel returned home with a smile on his face, ready to begin a new life.
To receive a copy of the video, please call 01709 889090.
September 2000 Globe Breaking Records and Bringing Support for Operation Smile
On September 7th, 2000, British pilot Jennifer Murray became the first woman to fly solo around the world in a helicopter. Microlight pilot Colin Bodill met the same challenge, but in a tiny Flexwing Microlight aircraft. Together they formed the NOW Challenge, which took off from London on May 31 and travelled over 22,000 nautical miles, touching down in over 29 countries before landing back in the U.K..
In addition to their record-breaking goals, the team also focused on raising funds and building awareness world-wide for Operation Smile, a charity that Ms. Murray has been closely associated with for many years. For three months these brave adventurers battled the elements of nature, the red tape of politics and the frustration of mechanical failures, proving themselves heroes - for aviation and for children.
The flight was sponsored by London-based NOW (Network of the World), the world's first fully converged TV-Internet service, and by Tommy Hilfiger.
Support Operation Smile by purchasing Jennifer Murray's new book 'Now Solo' about her record-breaking around-the-world trip by helicopter. Proceeds of the book go directly to helping Operation Smile projects around the world.
In Memoriam Brian Coghlan 1962 - 2003 Humanitarian, Visionary and Dedicated Operation Smile U.K. Volunteer and Trustee
On Sunday April 27, 2003, dedicated Operation Smile volunteer, Dr. Brian Coghlan, was killed in a tragic car crash. Dr. Coghlan was one of the premier cleft lip and cleft palate surgeons in the U.K. and one of the strongest and most dedicated supporters of Operation Smile. He leaves behind three young children and his wife, Beverly.
Brian was an enthusiastic Operation Smile volunteer, having recently participated in medical missions to help children in the Philippines and Kenya and in the Operation Smile Regional planning conference and World Summit 2002. He was scheduled to participate in missions this year to Kenya as well as be a guest lecturer at an Operation Smile conference in Shanghai. Brian appeared in a great deal of U.K. publicity over the past year -- including London Tonight, BBC Radio 4, Development Magazine, and many local newspapers around the country to help raise awareness of the needs of children with facial disfigurements around the world.
Brian was also very involved in Operation Smile's work to improve our outcomes measurement and gave many hours of his academic advice to improving our quality of care and potential for research. Brian was exceptionally dedicated to expanding our network of U.K. volunteers, creating fellowship and education opportunities in the U.K. for physicians in developing countries, and serving as a public advocate for disfigured children around the world.
Brian was an exceptionally committed humanitarian and a kind and gentle soul. He was a person dedicated to transforming the lives of those less fortunate than him, an articulate and thoughtful visionary, and someone who knew that the world really can be made a better place by a few simple and selfless acts.
Operation Smile U.K. is dedicated to continuing with our humanitarian service to children in his honour and in his memory and with a commitment to upholding Brian's standards of excellence.
Phil McDonald, Operation Smile U.K. Volunteer Anaesthetist, Trustee and Friend, remembers Brian:
"Brian was involved with Operation Smile as a volunteer for more than four years. His first medical mission with Operation Smile was to Davao, Philippines, in 1999 where he was part of a team that operated on 250 children with cleft lips and cleft palates over a period of 10 days. It was here that Brian realised just how much of a difference he could make in the lives of these poor children.
Since that first mission, Brian participated in missions to Mombasa and Ksumu in Kenya and transformed the lives of many children there. He was due to return to Kenya in 2003 to continue this work and I know he will be truly missed.
Not only had Brian given his time freely to go on medical missions, he had become heavily involved in the organisation of Operation Smile U.K. and had become a trustee on the Board. He was particularly interested in expanding educational opportunities to physicians in developing countries and thus enabling these countries to become self-sufficient.
Brian was synonymous with quality and to this end he had become involved in research with Operation Smile into improving the quality of care and outcome for the children being operated on.
Brian was truly gifted surgeon and he will be missed by many throughout the world."
Operation Smile Hosts World Summit 2006 in Limerick, Ireland
Event gathers 130 Operation Smile international leaders in preparation for 2007's 25th Anniversary initiatives to increase the number of children treated with facial deformities.
Operation Smile, a private, not-for-profit, volunteer medical services organization providing free reconstructive surgery and related healthcare to children around the world suffering with facial deformities, announces its World Summit 2006. The three-day conference in Ireland assembled 130 of Operation Smile's leading authorities representing nearly 30 countries. The Summit is being held to officially launch the year-long 25th Anniversary celebration and to finalize plans allowing the organization to treat more children around the world suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.
World Summit 2006 will take place October 22-24 at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort in Adare County, Limerick, Ireland. Hosted by Operation Smile, nearly 130 participants from Operation Smile's 25 partner countries, six resource countries and the United States converged at the site to discuss the organization's upcoming 25th anniversary and develop strategies to equip Operation Smile partner countries with the tools they need to increase the number of children treated each year. Tom and Judy Kane, owners of Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, donated the facilities and accommodations for the event and the location provides a central location for participants from the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
The participants attended sessions focused on medicine, funding and sustainability to develop methods that will lead to improved and sustained health care for children suffering with facial deformities. An overview of Operation Smile's World Journey of Smiles will be discussed, which will increase the number of children served each year. To be conducted in 2007, World Journey of Smiles will propel Operation Smile into the next 25 years, ensuring its success by giving Operation Smile's partner countries the necessary knowledge, expertise, and equipment to treat children in their own countries year round.
The Independence Ball
Operation Smile was made the charity of choice at The Independence Ball at London's Hilton Hotel, Park Lane. The event which was hosted by the Conservative leader - The Rt Hon David Cameron MP marked the 60th anniversary of India and Pakistan's independence.
Operation Smile was delighted to be the chosen Charity given the extensive medical programmes carried out across Asia. Over 450 British Asian business leaders, The Indian High Commissioner and The Pakistan High Commissioner gathered in the Ballroom for a dinner and dance. The Operation Smile Board, were was also joined by The Conservative Leader's Private Secretary and long standing supporter Kapil Dev - India's greatest and most famous cricketer. Operation Smile were a part-beneficiary of the charity auction.
Operation Smile Kenya
Operation Smile United Kingdom continues to support their Kenyan partner as they successfully complete the 4th local medical mission in Meru.
Operation Smile Kenya provided full medical assessments and evaluations for 181 prospective patients with facial deformities at the Meru District Hospital in April 2007. In just 7days of intensive screening and surgery, over 120 patients received life changing treatment for cleft related problems. A team of 53 medical and non-medical volunteers from Nairobi, Mobasa, Kisumu, Makuru, Eldoret and Meru worked together to assess and treat all the children seen. Some of these children went on to receive further aftercare with speech and orthodontic specialists.
The incident rate for children born with cleft lips and palates in developing countries is approximately 1 in 500. These Children often live in isolation and are not aware that treatment can be made available. Most do not even have access to basic medical care. Operation Smile Kenya (OSMIK) created awareness of the mission by using a widely distributed media campaign. Using local papers and bilingual posters containing graphic descriptions of the services available, they were able to reach patients across Meru and as far as Mount Kenya. This meant that more than double the number of patients treated were able to be medically assessed and will be given an opportunity to attend screening at future missions.
In addition, OSMIK were also able to purchase further medical supplies for future missions ensuring that their work combating the facial problem in Kenya continues and that each patient receives the best possible medical treatment.
Operation Smile Jordon
An Operation Smile international team of more than 60 medical and non-medical volunteers are working together in Amman, Jordan, to provide free medical evaluations and surgery to Jordanian children suffering from facial deformities.
The volunteer team members include plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, a pediatrician, an orthodontist, a speech pathologist and others. These volunteers, from the United Kinddom, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Kenya and the United States, are working with a Jordanian medical team at Jamil Tutanji hospital in Amman to provide patients with life-changing surgeries.
Since its first international mission in 2000 to Jordan, Operation Smile medical volunteers have provided free medical evaluations to more than 2,700 Jordanian and Iraqi children suffering with facial deformities. More than 1,000 have received free reconstructive surgery.
First international mission: 2000
International mission sites: Amman, Irbid
Opeartion Smile Morocco
Operation Smile United Kingdom has partnered with Operation Smile Morocco (OSM) in the creation of their first Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Care Centre in Northern Africa. The Casablanca based Care Centre will enable Operation Smile Morocco to provide comprehensive treatment and post operative care to an hundreds of additional children suffering from facial deformities each year.
In Morocco, it is estimated that up to 1,500 children are born annually with a cleft lips and/or palates and there is an estimated backlog of nearly 3,000 patients awaiting surgery. Since 1999 Operation Smile Morocco has treated over 2,339 though a combination of international and local medical missions.
The creation of the Care Centre will enable Operation Smile Morocco to provide the highest quality care to increased number of patients. Children who receive surgery at the Care Centre will not only receive surgical treatment, but will also have access to orthodontic care, speech therapy and nutritional guidance for as long as needed.
Additionally, the Care Centre will provide dental treatment for over 2,000 Moroccan children each year and will also act as a hub for medical education programmes such as the Advanced Paediatric Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Advanced Burn Care Training Programmes that were held in Morocco this year.
The creation of the Morocco Care Centre is a great step for Operation Smile and will help bring Operation Smile Morocco closer to its goal of solving the cleft problem in Morocco over the next 10 years.
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