Jordan Team Brings Smiles to Iraqi Children

This morning, an Operation Smile team flew out of Amman, Jordan on a special chartered flight to Baghdad, Iraq. The flight was scheduled to pick up 30 children with their families, and 10 Iraqi doctors, all who were coming to Amman for the World Journey of Smiles. After clearing security, the group was shuttled out to the charter plane – many of them not only experiencing their first airplane trip, but also leaving their country for the first time in their lives.

We met 5 year old Ali who was traveling with his mother. He was so excited that he was blowing kisses and waving hello to everyone who passed. This would be his 5th operation to repair a cleft lip and palate and yet his enthusiasm and joy were contagious. We also met Hamar, a beautiful 8 year old girl whose sad eyes only hinted at the tragedy she had seen in her short life. She was traveling with her Aunt who explained that Hamar had witnessed the death of her father by insurgents. The little girl clung tightly to her aunt throughout the trip but smiled shyly when we offered her a hug.

Dr. Iman, who leads the surgical team from Baghdad explains how the children are treated because of their deformities. “If I see a boy and a girl, both with a cleft lip and can only treat one, I always treat the girl,” she notes. When asked why, she explains that culturally, girls born with facial deformities are often kept out of school and never marry. “Whereas boys, they grow a moustache and the stigma is not as bad,” she adds. There are equal numbers of boys and girls on the flight, ranging in age from 6 months to 15 years.

One little girl’s mom got the call that morning to join the flight when another family dropped out – her mother was so thrilled she grabbed a suitcase and was at the airport with only half an hour notice. She was joining her sister who had already been confirmed on the flight – both of them had daughters born with cleft lips and cleft palates. This trip was the opportunity for both little girls to get the surgery needed to repair the faces and restore their smiles.

- Jennifer Devlin, Operation Smile volunteer