Reflections of a Smile

Phnom Pehn, Cambodia

Had another great day of surgeries and smiles in Cambodia. Kim Conrad and Mamta Shah are two of the post-op nurses who are working particularly hard in the hot, humid, crowded and very noisy post-op ward. They told me a story about a young 11 year old boy who had his lip repaired. In the middle of all the activity going on around this young boy’s bed, when his dad held up the small mirror provide in the post-op “smile bag” - he was mesmerized by his new reflection. He stared at himself for about one hour - never moving his gaze for more than a few seconds.

Kim says that every time his dad would lower the mirror - the young boy would reach for his hand to hold the mirror up again so that he could continue to see his new face and smile. It was as if he did not believe that the reflection in the mirror was really his own — maybe afraid that if he averted his gaze — the reflection would fade. These moments are what Operation Smile is all about … and knowing that each of us has played a small part in making it happen - is why we are all so grateful to be here!

- Dottie Ryan, Operation Smile Student Sponsor