ONE TEAM, ONE GOAL, MANY SMILES…

As the last surgery was completed on the World Journey of Smiles’ Fortaleza mission, you can sense that great joy and accomplishment reigned throughout the OR. Doctors, OR and recovery room nurses, anesthesiologists, dentists and the clinical coordinator were sharing that moment of joy of having completed surgery on the final 19 patients today. In total, the Fortaleza mission evaluated 280 patients, conducted 111 surgeries and 119 procedures.

As you stepped outside the OR room into the other side of the hallway, some pre and post operation nurses were hugging each other and sharing a laugh, while others rotated to care for the last surgery patients. The biomedical technicians, always available on the spot throughout the week to resolve technical matters, were going to work, ensuring all the equipment was properly put away and the operating rooms were left completely organized.

As the speech therapists and psychologists continued providing families with the proper counseling and next steps for their ongoing treatment, the medical records team continued its impeccable job of organizing, logging and providing the necessary information to the medical staff. Throughout the process, geneticists continue gathering and analyzing information to determine the causes of these deformities and the possible family heritage connection. An army of student volunteers, who regularly came to the hospital to provide a much needed helping hand, worked along hand in hand to help put the final touches on this mission.

The film crew continued to move along all rooms, conducting interviews and catching valuable footage that will be very useful for the global documentary. With grace, they were able to get into the tightest of spots to capture those important moments while not interfering with the work done by the medical team. The photographers, who all week long appeared to always be present at the right moment to capture those feelings and emotions through their lenses, had now returned to headquarters to prepare the final slide show and video to be shown tonight at the dinner party.

Through it all, the director and coordinators did a fantastic job overseeing the total effort, ensuring all logistics were covered and all needs met beyond expectation. According to comments from many people I spoke with, this was one of the best organized missions they had ever participated in…I absolutely agree.

I can mention names and countless individual stories that occurred throughout the mission, but it would not properly describe what took place in Fortaleza. Throughout the week, this was an absolute TEAM effort. It was not the individual who stood out, but rather the unit. Egos must have been checked at the door because not once did I see them present and even under stressful moments, a laugh was always shared, a joke was said or a story told to keep things loose.

While giving a smile back to 111 kids is an impressive achievement, the success of this mission went beyond the numbers. The families and their children truly received an integral treatment from the minute they entered the hospital. Cultural barriers were also broken with ease as Brazilians came together with numerous volunteers that arrived from the different corners of the globe to provide treatment for these needy children.

They all formed part of ONE TEAM with ONE GOAL: provide the gift of MANY SMILES to all the children they treated.

With this update, we end the reporting from Fortaleza. This particular mission, as others around the globe in the World Journey of Smiles is coming to and end. However, as we celebrate Operation Smile’s 25th Anniversary, our MISSION is just beginning, as we all look forward to continuing to help children born with facial deformities wherever they are born in this planet. All children deserve a chance to smile and live a normal life and as volunteers, we will continue to work together in an effort to make that dream happen.

- Erich de la Fuente, EDF Communications