Founded in 1982 by Dr. William Pagee Jr. and his wife, Kathy Magee, Operation Smile is one of the biggest and most active medical nonprofit organizations in the world. Its mission mainly revolves around cleft lip and palate repair surgeries and raising awareness with regards to these conditions.
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Image source: catalog.operationsmile.org
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Children (and adults) with cleft lip and palate can suffer serious health conditions. They can develop hearing problems, ear infections, have difficulty latching during breastfeeding, and many more. They can also suffer from social problems due to their appearance and difficulties in speaking.
An Operation Smile surgical mission begins with an examination by medical volunteers to ensure the patient is healthy enough to undergo the procedure. Before the medical procedure, the patients undergo therapeutic play with certified child life specialists to walk them through the changes that will happen after the surgery. Lastly, the procedure takes place. In the surgery, surgeons carefully stitch the patient’s upper lip together, layer by layer.
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Image source: donateaphoto.com
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Operation Smile has performed over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults in over 30 countries around the world. It also has a program called World Care Program where it brings patients with extraordinary craniofacial conditions to its headquarters in Virginia to receive treatment.
Tup Ingram, M.D., is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon, with his practice focusing on reconstruction and cosmetic surgery, except craniofacial surgery. In the past, he had worked with Operation Smile, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and the Viennese Opera Ball of New York City. For more insightful reads, click here.
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