A Smile Comes Full Circle

Kisumu, Kenya

As part of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Operation Smile, and the World Journey of Smiles, Dr. Daniel Pyo MD, a plastic surgery volunteer from Morristown, NJ participated in a mission in Kisumu, Kenya. This was not his first surgical mission, but it was his first mission with Operation Smile. This mission was unlike any of his others because of the participation of his son, Christopher Pyo. Christopher is a 9 year old boy, who was fortunate enough to accompany his parents earlier in the summer to Beijing, China on a mission. The trip provided an incredible experience for Christopher, one that would change his life forever. The trip included a visit to a Chinese orphanage which truly affected young Christopher. Seeing the conditions that these children lived in, the things that they did not have, and the things that we took for granted in the states really changed young Christopher’s view about the world. Once we arrived back in the US, Christopher decided that for his upcoming birthday, he would write a letter asking his friends not to give him presents, but instead help him to sponsor a child for Operation Smile. He had recently seen a commercial for operation smile on TV, where they said that the cost to help one child was $240. He knew that his father was going to Kenya for the World Journey of Smiles in November. Christopher sent out the letter to his friends at school and at church, and he had 2 parties that raised a total of nearly $4000. Not knowing where to send this money, his father contacted Operation Smile who informed him that the NJ Gala for Operation Smile was going to be held shortly, and that Christopher would be invited as a special donor to present the donation directly to Bill and Kathy Magee. It was a magical evening that neither Christopher nor his parents will ever forget. Christopher made his presentation like a pro, and was the center of attention the rest of the evening. No two parents could be prouder of a son.
As the Kisumu mission was drawing closer, the family was getting excited. There were donations of stuffed animals, and other items that continued to arrive. Packing and trying to avoid an overweight bag were becoming a bit of a concern. In the preparation for this mission, Dr. Pyo felt a special sense of purpose, a responsibility to his son to bring back the experience for him. He decided to take as many photos as possible, to provide a photo-journal of the mission.

Mission Notes
The mission to Kisumu, Kenya was an incredibly successful mission. The number of successful results was astounding. Dr. Pyo was able to keep in touch with his family and Christopher via phone and internet.

“There were many significant and memorable moments. The first truly memorable moment was the initial visit through the city from the airport, to the hospital in Kisumu, Nyanza regional hospital. We were definitely in Kenya. The mass of humanity was staggering, and the sheer poverty was overwhelming. These people had very, very little, and it seemed that there would be a lot of work to be done. The screening days were long, and exhausting, but with the entire team pulling together, and working hard it was done. It was an amazing team, from the Physicians to Nurses, PIT staff, therapists, etc., to the local volunteers. The next memorable moment was the posting of the surgical list. Postings are always quite emotional, but this one was a little different. There were just so many people who came hoping for the chance to have their child’s life changed. The hope and anticipation in their eyes was striking. There was a father who brought 3 older children all with bilateral cleft lips and palates. He was reluctant to come initially because he felt that the children were cursed. His children were chosen. There were so many small stories that are too numerous to go into, but the final list was chosen, and it was time to set up for surgery. I was proud of each operation that I performed, because I knew that I was not alone. I thought of Christopher, and how his support for these children was a real blessing. The conditions during surgery were difficult. The OR’s were very hot, and humid. There was no AC, and there was no ventilation. We had fans running all the time, and despite that, the heat was oppressive. The first two days were very long, and difficult for everyone on the team. The flow was slow to start, but it was amazing to see how everyone, and everything came together, and the flow was smoother and smoother. The OR staff was incredible, and deserve much praise. The pre-op, and post-op areas were humming, and without the help of the staff in these locations it would have been impossible to have the results that we did. A special note of appreciation has to be sent out to the floor staff – Our Pediatrician, Dr. Mary Wilson, and our nurses Courtney Fratto, Kathy Hayes, Fanuel Mukhove, Jane Karanja, and Appele Ojola. This team had to endure the most difficult conditions, but they made it look easy. The last significant memory was the final wrap-up party in Kisumu. It was Friday evening, after we had finished our last surgery, and had packed everything up. Our hosts provided a wonderful party for us at a different hotel. I was asked to speak on behalf of the team and was proud to do so. After thanking everyone for their support and hard work, it came back to Christopher. I told everyone about his work and his humanity, and I was a very proud father. We had finished a very successful mission, and I was going back home to tell Christopher about all the children that he had helped. I will show him photos of all the children that we took care of, and show him the results of the operations. I will show him the love in their eyes, and the gratefulness in the hearts of the parents. I will bring back home all the smiles that he helped to create. “

Leaving Kisumu and Kenya was not as easy as Dr. Pyo had thought it would be. There is still so much work that needs to be done, but his family was also waiting for him at home. “Part of what makes these missions so special are the lifelong friendships that are made. The friends that are made in very difficult situations are always very special. I salute the entire team that served in Kisumu, Kenya. They will always remain in a very special place in my heart.”

- Daniel Pyo, Operation Smile volunteer

Photo Journal: Casablanca, Morocco

Follow Operation Smile Co-founders Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee during their visit to the World Journey of Smiles medical mission in Casablanca, Morocco. Photos include Jeremy Greenhalgh of Charter House, London, Operation Smile Italy Board Chair Santo Versace and the Operation Smile Care Center under construction.

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Did World Journey of Smiles meet my expectations? Almost.

Did I expect…..

…to feel overwhelmed by their stories?
…to ache for the children who were turned away?
…to be brought to tears by the desperate yearning of mothers and fathers?
…to witness compassion that could heal the heart of humanity?
…to understand the power of collaboration that could unify nations from across the globe?
…to appreciate that by working together we could make a difference?

I may have imagined all of this and more…
…but I didn’t expect that we could change the world….until now.

Having worked for Operation Smile for the past year I believed I knew what the organization stood for, what it meant to be a part of it and how we were impacting the lives of many, one smile at a time. However, the full appreciation of what has come to be over the past 25 years revealed itself to me on my mission to Jordan. To be in the Middle East during this time of crisis and to witness the common bonds of compassion, understanding and acceptance, uniting people from all nations, is a testament to what can be accomplished when we join together to realize the essence of our humanity.

With much appreciation and thanks,

- Kyla Shawyer, Operation Smile

Photo Journal: Co-founders Visit Ethiopia

Photo journal following Operation Smile Co-founders Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee’s visit to Ethiopia during the World Journey of Smiles in November, 2007.

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Images from Jimma - November, 2007

Photos taken during Operation Smile’s World Journey of Smiles medical mission in Jimma, Ethiopia.

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“One World”

Spitting snow and mist mix into an opaque veil, obscuring the horizon over the Sea of Azov. Perched on the north shore and looking out to sea is Taganrog Children’s Hospital. Here children from Russia’s southern provinces gather in hopes of acquiring corrective facial surgery from experts from Russia and throughout the world. – all part of Operation Smile’s World Journey of Smiles.

14 of the children came from Chechnya – the result of considerable effort by Operation Smile Russia’s Executive Director, Anneli Nerman, and the acclaimed writer and Chechen physician Khasan Baiev.

These 14 children especially will know the joy of the human spirit inherent in such work. The nobility of giving unconditionally is on graphic display!

In this moment, in this place – world conflict is put aside. The world pauses to acknowledge its most valuable resource – its children.

The snow and mist see to clear…….

- Earl Bryant, M.D., Operation Smile volunteer

Photo Album: Taganrog, Russia

Follow team Taganrog through their first full day of patients during Operation Smile’s World Journey of Smiles in Taganrog, Russia. New and veteran volunteers teamed at the medical mission site to fix the smile on several dozen children that were born primarily with cleft lips and palates. Families came from near and far to take advantage of Operation Smile’s program to receive expert services for free where they otherwise would not be able to afford the operations.

- Jamie Rector, Operation Smile volunteer photographer

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Video: Jordan Mission Highlights

Highlights from Amman, Jordan during Operation Smile’s World Journey of Smiles medical mission in November, 2007.

Notes from Tetouan, Morocco

Team Tetouan concluded 5 days of surgeries having completed a staggering 189 surgeries. An international mission organized by the in country team in Morocco, the Tetouan mission is very much the shape of the future for Operation Smile. Everything about Operation Smile is remarkable, but there was something extra-emotional about seeing relatively privileged Moroccans looking after children from some of the poorest reaches of their own country. Nothing was too much trouble for this team. There was a feeling of togetherness between and among the volunteers and patients that was unique because they all shared a common culture and a common language. Here are a few highlights:

• A wonderfully elegant man in traditional dress brought his 12 year old son for surgery. He was an Imam (a religious leader) and was spotted reading the Koran while his son was in surgery. After the successful surgery, I asked him if he had anything he wanted to say to the doctors. His response was that he had been praying for them throughout the surgery. He had asked God to take care of the doctors and nurses and to help them fulfill all their dreams throughout their lives. I will never forget his face. It was full of love for his son and gratitude and love for everyone else.

• The team tried to avoid the disappointment of patients who were unlikely to receive surgeries. Cell phones are everywhere in Morocco, even amongst the poor communities, so instead they called to deliver the bad news. However, inevitably, a couple of patients showed up to find they had not made the list. A mother came up to me, begging me to look at the burns that were carefully hidden by a hair band on her beautiful daughter’s head. It broke my heart, and all I could do was explain that I was not a doctor. I called over Abdou Jbara, the mission leader and Executive Director of Operation Smile Morocco, and he told me to send her to see one of the specialists from Casablanca. This man had such a big heart, and he did not want to turn anyone away. He was there for one reason only: to make arrangements for the most difficult cases to come to see him in Casablanca where he would be able to treat them. He took the cases that could not be treated in Tetouan. We had come to expect extraordinary acts of compassion. This was just one more.

• One evening, the team was invited for a wonderful dinner at the local Sofitel. I had arrived early, and the Restaurant manager came up to me and told me that they had a young man working at the hotel who had a cleft lip. I mentioned it to Abdou and thought nothing of it until three days later when I saw the boy in post-op. I kept wondering that if I was experiencing these random acts of extraordinary kindness, how many were occurring that I was not witnessing – not just in Morocco, but everywhere throughout the World Journey of Smiles.

• The recovery room was a place full of love. Dr. Merhdad Mehr would not want me to single him out because he is perhaps the most humble person I have ever met. It was a privilege to watch him work. He was one of the very few foreign doctors on the mission having traveled from Boston. The kids will never know how he held every one of them in his arms when they came out of surgery. He read their chart to learn their names and talked to them and cradled them as though they were his own children. His eyes were everywhere. At one time he heard a child crying and said, “there’s something wrong.” He actually recognized a difference in a child’s cry. He went to the child and quickly found a small problem with the IV that needed to be removed and replaced. The story I want to share about this amazing man took place on our day off. As he walked around a beautiful Moroccan village, Dr. Mehr spotted a child with a cleft lip. By now, I’m sure you know the rest of the story. Three days later the child was in post-op with his parents proudly looking at his new smile.

• Then there was Dr. Najib Jilali, the “gentle professor” who led the post-op medical team with patience, skill, and compassion. At one point I saw a mother enter the nurses’ area with a child. The child was the sibling of one of the patients. The next thing I knew, Dr. Jilali was examining the child who seemed to be in perfect health. I asked him what was happening, and he explained that this boy’s mother simply wanted him to check out her other son. He had never had the chance to have a medical check. I learned later that this was happening throughout the week.

• There was music and dancing in the child life room. At the end of the long days of surgery, there was singing and dancing in the operating rooms. Incredible young women led the nursing teams. Our clinical coordinator was just 27 and wise beyond her years. In the last 12 months she lost both her parents and her only sibling, making her contribution all the more remarkable.

I could go on and on, but the most important stories are the ones that have not yet been lived. 189 people came to Tetouan in search of a new life. Tired, concerned faces lined up for screening with hope in their eyes. Over the course of the next week, these families dared to dream of a new life. Perhaps for the first time, they could think about the future and smile. Team Tetouan changed 189 lives this week. I have never been kissed by so many men, women and children as the grateful families showered us all with their love and prayers. Clearly, many more than 189 lives were changed.

Last year, my 17 year old daughter went to China on an Operation Smile Mission. I talked to her on the phone while she was there, and she said, “Dad… you have to come on a mission with me.” So there we were together in Morocco. Now 18 years old, my daughter has shown me a level of human compassion, love and giving that has literally changed my life. Thank you Team Tetouan.

- David Wolfe

New Smiles in Jordan

Yesterday was the final day of surgery and today Team Jordan is packing up to go home. Altogether, the team conducted 95 surgeries – 55 on Jordanian children and 40 on the Iraqi and Kurdistan children. To see the glowing faces of mothers and fathers who brought their children from all over the region for this event was beyond fulfilling.

One of the children from Iraq was a 5-month baby named Banin who was carried lovingly by her father. We learned that the baby had been born with a minor cleft and had surgery in Baghdad at 3 months by some local surgeons who were not a part of Operation Smile. Unfortunately, the surgery widened the cleft and she now had a gaping hole in her face that made it difficult for her to feed. When her mother saw that her daughter’s condition was worse, she left and never returned. So now, Banin’s father was on his own, caring for his infant, and hoping to correct the damage that had been done. Banin’s surgery went very smoothly and the smile on the face of her dad when he first saw her in post-op says it all.

We also met Qamar, a beautiful 7-year old girl with an elegant face and extremely sad eyes. Her mother told us that Qamar had witnessed her father’s death in Iraq when insurgents pulled him from his taxi and shot him to death in front of his young daughter. She too was here to have a previous surgery repaired. The day after the surgery, she was doing remarkably well – one of the children who seemed to rebound extremely quickly from the surgery. Even though her cleft had not been severe, after 5 days of spending time with her on the flight over from Iraq, during pre-screening and pre-op, we had never once seen her smile. The day after surgery, as she sat in post-op awaiting discharge, she smiled for the very first time.

Images of Nakuru

Photos taken during Operation Smile’s World Journey of Smiles medical mission in Nakuru, Kenya.

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Video: Dr. Michael Brennan in Nairobi

First-time Operation Smile volunteer Dr. Michael Brennan explores the medical mission facilities in Nairobi, Kenya.

Notes From Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk, Russia

Friday November 9, 2007
Operation Smile Arrives in “the Gateway of Siberia”

The international team members of the Operation Smile Russian Team landed in a blinding snow storm at Novosibirsk’s Tolmenchevo Airport. Eight inches of fresh, blowing snow and 15 degrees Fahrenheit greeted the team as they deplaned. After arriving, team members met with their Russian counterparts to review the mission game plan. The team screened 80 children, many who traveled with their families from 48 to 72 hours to arrive at the Novosibirsk Children’s Emergency Hospital #3.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

On Monday the operating rooms came to life, and by evening fifteen children had received life changing surgeries. On Tuesday the total was raised to twenty-eight. Little nine-month old Irina and her mother traveled two days on the trans-Siberian railway to see the Operation Smile Team. Her surgery was completed on Tuesday. Now she is preparing to return to her small town of Noviy Uoyan with her new smile.

- Bruce Smith, Operation Smile Team Novosibirsk EMR

Video: Jeremy Greenhalgh on New Clinic in Morocco

Former Operation Smile United Kingdom Chairman of the Board, current Board Member of Opertion Smile, Inc. and Partner of Charterhouse Development Capital Jeremy Greenhalgh tours the site for the new Operation Smile clinic opening in Morocco.

Field Journal: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Saturday, November 10, 2007 – Patient Selection/Announcements
The video crew arrived early at the screening site. We aren’t the only ones. Many families are already at the hospital, sitting in small groups, standing alone – all waiting patiently for the announcement & posting of the list at noon. The Medical Team Leads arrive and join us, ready to answer any questions that parents may have about why their child had to be left behind due to health and safety reasons.

A volunteer from the Operation Smile office in Ethiopia arrives with the list and color coded cards. Each patient for surgery has their name read off, starting with Monday and progressing through the week. They receive a card with the date of their surgery and instructions for when to arrive at the hospital. There were many happy families of children with cleft lips or cleft palates and arrangements were made to include some adults, too.

The entire medical team had a relaxing day touring the area which was a great chance to continue to get to know each other prior to the intensity of surgery week.

The video crew spent the afternoon with Arifase and her Father, Tolessa. Arifase is a stunningly beautiful girl. Her hair is plaited, and she wears a beautiful blue and white scarf over her head, and a traditional Ethiopian skirt. At the age of 13, Arifase has never been to school. “We told her that she must go to school,” explains her Father, “but she says, I will never go back to school. The kids make fun of me.”

Her family heard the news on the radio that Operation Smile was coming to Ethiopia. “I was so happy,” Arifase’s dad says. “I borrowed the money from my neighbor. It cost me 80 birr to get here – and the bus ride took 7 hours. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.” They are renting a room in Addis for the duration of the screening and the surgery. It’s too costly to try and return home.

Sunday, November 11, 2007 – Set Up at the Hospital
Here in Ethiopia, the team has been alerted that the cargo has not yet arrived. We understand that many people, in the US and Ethiopia, are working hard to assist Operation Smile! We all appreciate the efforts made on behalf of the children – to expedite the delivery and clearing of customs. The team spends the day sightseeing in Addis Ababa. At 5:00pm – set up begins at the hospital and the team is ready for surgery to begin on Monday morning.

The video crew spent the day to the west of Addis Ababa, visiting the home of Solomon. The journey is long, over 250km with the last 70km taking us down a dusty gravel road only to park and walk 20 minutes past the fields his father, Teshome, farms to reach their home. Solomon is able to tell his Mother, who is pregnant and unable to travel, that he has been selected to have surgery.

Solomon helps his father in the fields and attends a near-by school. His dad tells us that he is in the 3rd grade. When he first went to school, he was teased and taunted. He refused at first to go back, but his parents insisted that he return.

“We force him to go to school,” his dad says, “but the kids laugh at him. He’s terrified every day of the other children. I tell him that it’s God’s will – you must go to school.” Whenever Solomon walks through the village or into town, he covers his mouth. Still, children yell out and call him names. Despite his struggles, Solomon is number 10 out of 77 students (he showed us his report card.) His parents insist that he would be number one, if not for the pain and torment he endures daily.

Monday, November 12, 2007 – First Day of Surgery & visit from Bill & Kathy Magee
The Medical Team is up bright and early this morning, ready for their first day of surgery. During the team meeting at breakfast, Bill and Kathy Magee arrive with many special guests. Bill talks to the team and shares some incredible stories of the sites he has visited so far on the World Journey. Soon, the medical team heads off to Black Lion Hospital to begin their day.

Bill and Kathy share several special moments with the families gathered at the hospital. They meet Meti’s family and hear her story first hand of being left behind 4 times. A collection is taken up by the visitors traveling with the Magee’s to help the father buy a cow to replace the one he sold to travel to the mission site.

Upstairs on ward D4 in Black Lion Hospital, Bill meets two orphaned brothers, who arrived too late for screening due to distance and travel problems. The older brother Ibrahim (18), wearing an Ethiopian Airlines eye mask to hide his cleft, his little brother Gewar (5) by his side. The team works quickly to get both boys screened and scheduled for surgery during the week.

Bill practices shaking hands with Ibrahim and explains that while Operation Smile will be able to fix his facial deformity, it is important for him to work on eye contact and self confidence.

All too soon, the Magee’s depart for the Palace where they had the opportunity to meet with the President of Ethiopia before traveling on to Morocco.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007 – Mimi’s Story & Update from the Film CrewToday we spent all day with Mimi and her Grandfather, Munessa.

We met Mimi on Thursday, during screening. Mimi’s hair is plaited in the traditional Ethiopian style. She wears a tan cotton blouse and skirt that hangs off her tiny frame. Clearly, she has borrowed clothing for what was to be one of the biggest days in her life. Her beautiful face is marred by a gaping cleft lip. She smiles shyly – as best she can – as she spends the entire day going through the screening process.

Her grandfather tells us that they have traveled two days by bus to get here. It costs them 45 birr – money they did not have. They had to prepare so quickly for the journey, they borrowed the money. They received a letter from the local health station letting them know that Operation Smile would be in Addis. It was the news she had waited her entire lifetime to hear. Over and over again, they were told that locally, there was nobody to help her. She had to come to Addis.

“I am hoping people can fix this for her. We are hoping that it is God’s will.”

Mimi has both a cleft lip and a cleft palate and can barely speak. She started school for the first time this year – at 9 years old, she is only in the first grade. She tells us that she is learning her ABCs in English - -yet she is barely understandable when the speech therapist struggles to hear her say her vowels and a few simple words.

“Sometimes, people make fun of me,” Mimi whispers. “If it is God’s will, he will let her go to school and be like others,” said her Grandfather. “I’ll be happy to play at school and to have friends.”

The film crew spends the day near Tulu Bolo, Ethiopia, filming Mimi at school and with her Grandfather doing chores at home. She is withdrawn and appears isolated as the school children point and stare. She tries as best she can to keep her mouth hidden behind a colorful scarf. It is wonderful to know that on Thursday, Mimi will have surgery and no longer need to hide behind a scarf.

Enthusiasm in Kisumu

It’s really an exciting time to be in Kenya with Kenyan presidential elections right around the corner. Kisumu streets are filled with truck-loads of campaigners that weave past the matatus and tuk tuks and frequently make their way into the hospital grounds blasting loud music and loud speeches. At moments it can get tense, especially when two opposing groups meet momentarily. Yet everyone is very friendly underneath all of the tension and excitement. Everyone is still very nice, despite their passions.

In the hospital, the enthusiasm is even higher but the atmosphere is much more relaxed. The mixed international and Kenya team is working very well together. It is common to find the doctors between cases singing, dancing and laughing with the pre operative patients. All of which is usually led by one of our plastic surgeons from Canada, Rogrigo Niera. He is a fun guy with a great heart and he really loves the kids.

Anyone who didn’t know this was a joint international mission might think that our team has been together for more than just 7 days. Sadly, tomorrow it all comes to an end and we go home, but the need to help will never leave. Screenings and new patients line up everyday hoping we can make a difference in their lives. The hospital will do its best to take care of them when we go, but there are not enough plastic surgeons here and they have relied on Operation Smile to help every year since 1992.

So far we are a little more than halfway through Thursday and we have completed 132 patients and should reach 141 by the time we wrap up for the afternoon. We have another 23 patients scheduled for tomorrow and then we pack up and send the hard working dedicated volunteers back to their families. I’m sure they all are tired, but they are also glad they could help. You can tell by their smiles. Trust me, after this week, no one here will take a smile for granted.

- Jay McCord, Operation Smile staff

Photo Journal: Amman, Jordan

Follow the story of Operation Smile’s World Journey of Smiles medical mission in Amman, Jordan as patients receive new smiles.

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Video: Operation Smile in Nairobi

Video footage of beautiful Nairobi, Kenya and Operation Smile’s World Journey of Smiles medical mission there.

Hello From Sunny Kisumu

It’s 6:30 Wednesday morning in Kisumu, Kenya and the team has boarded the bus to head off to the Nyanza Province General Hospital, just on the edge of town. We haven’t even started our first case and we have already finished 71 patients for the week. Yesterday was a long day, surprisingly the team is still very motivated and in wonderful spirits. The team is working slow and steady to treat everyone safely, making for some very long days.

The rate of clefts and other deformities in the Nyanza region is pretty high. In fact, there was a baby with a unilateral cleft lip born in the adjacent wing moments after surgery began Monday morning. Every day we have had between 15 and 25 patients of all ages come to be screened for a cleft or other condition (usually a keloid). This is a record turnout for this site. Many of patients are from very poor backgrounds and cannot even afford the minimal charges of the state run hospital. The Operation Smile team has been their only chance to get a physical and often a referral for the cases we do not treat. Most of the higher priorities have been added to the schedule, which has made for two long days.

Today is “palate day” which is a hard schedule filled with palates and palate revisions. Check the stats later in the day to see where we end up. Yet the team is motivated and enthusiastic. Harambee!

- Jay McCord, Operation Smile staff

Talaal’s New Smile

Today, Talaal, an infant from Jordan was discharged from the hospital and a couple members of the Jordan team escorted Talaal and his family home to see the reaction of family members to Talaal’s dramatic change. The parents packed up at the hospital after receiving gifts and then drove the half hour to their apartment in an Amman neighborhood. Their whole family lives there – each family has an apartment on a different floor and the entire family fills the 5 story apartment building.

As we entered the apartment, Talaal’s mother Areej hurried into the kitchen to prepare a welcome meal. We spent time with Talaal and his older brother Zeid and spoke to his father about the impact of Talaal’s surgery. It was remarkable to see how quickly Talaal was healing. He was drinking from a bottle the first time in his life and sitting up and cooing and watching everything around him. You could tell how happy he was to be home. We sat down for tea and hummus and before long Talaal’s grandmother showed up to see the baby. She beamed when she saw his cleft lip whole for the first time, and thanked us and the doctors. She lamented not knowing that we were coming saying she would have baked us treats.

As we got ready to leave, we asked Areej who she was most excited to see the baby. “His brother,” she replied. Talaal’s other brother is a first-grader who would not play with the baby and told his mom he wanted nothing to do with him because he did not look like the other children. We all recalled how sad Areej had seemed the day before at the hospital. The entire time she was there, through the screening and the surgery, none of us had seen her smile. Throughout this visit, her happiness was so evident that her smile lit up the room.

- Jennifer Devlin, Operation Smile volunteer

Jordan’s Queen Visits Mission Site

Photo journal of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah touring the Operation smile medical mission in Jordan during World Journey of Smiles.

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Images of Amman

World Journey of Smiles photos from Amman, Jordan taken on November 12, 2007.

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Photo Journal: Co-founders in Jordan

Operation Smile Co-founders Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee visit Jordan during World Journey of Smiles on November 10, 2007. Amman, Jordan.

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“Jambo” from Kisumu

Jambo from sunny Kisumu, Kenya, overlooking beautiful Lake Victoria. Team Kisumu is breaking records and creating new smiles. The local Kisumu Operation Smile folks did an amazing job getting the word out.

In fact, one whole family, Dad and oldest brother had their bilateral lips and palates repaired in the past. On the first day of screening, the last three patients, brothers Selvandus (20), Tom (18) and sister Robai (10) were seen by an excited team. They were placed on the schedule for Wednesday 13 November for bilateral lip and palate surgery. Details and lots of pictures to follow. A family of five, all corrected.

- Christine Stockton, Operation Smile Student Sponsor

Video: Dr. Magee in Jordan

Join Operation Smile Co-founder Dr. Bill Magee as he arrives in Amman, Jordan and reports in on World Journey of Smiles activities taking place.

Saad’s New Smile - Amman, Jordan

I have really gotten to know the children from Iraq over the course of the mission. Their stories are so heart-wrenching that it is hard to share them, but I wanted to tell you about just a few:

Saad is 10 years old and suffers from a cleft lip and an ectopic bladder, which means his bladder grew outside his body. He arrived on the plane accompanied by a young man — I asked if he was Saad’s father. It turns out that the young man is Saad’s older brother. Their father was killed by insurgents during the war. The older brother is now raising Saad and 11 other children. Their mother is still alive but is very ill so he takes care of her too. He is only 16 but his grace, composure and air of authority makes him seem so much older. Saad had his surgery today and will be going home with a bright new smile.

- Jennifer Devlin, Operation Smile volunteer

Video: OR in Kenya

Tour the Operating Rooms with Dr. Vincent Chau, Anesthesia Team Leader for Team Kenya, during setup on November 10th.

New Smiles in Amman

Today was the first day of surgery for the Jordanian children who were screened on Saturday. They started their day very early in the pre-op area where the team checked their charts and put the children in surgical gowns. From there they moved on to the surgical area, where they received anesthesia and were taken into surgery.

As they waited their turns, Kelli and Triana, the student volunteers from Utah kept them entertained and Leah, one of the child psychologists on the team would play games to help familiarize them with the medical procedure to come, from playing peek a boo with surgical masks to having each child handle the anesthesia cup.

Bill and Kathy Magee, who arrived in Amman the day before, joined the surgical team in the afternoon. While most of the children were there for cleft lip and cleft palate repairs, one young boy, Mustafa, was brought in by his parents to remove a tumor from his face caused by melanoma. In all, 20 children received life-changing surgery today.

Late in the afternoon the children from Iraq arrived for pre-screening and later that night, a group of children who had just flown in from Kurdistan came straight from the airport for the pre-screening. Both groups will begin surgery tomorrow. The day began at 5:00am for the team, and for some, would not end until midnight. It was an exhausting, exhilarating day for the children, their families and the team — and one that will live on in each of our memories for years to come.

– Jennifer Devlin, Operation Smile

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Images from Egypt

Screening Day images from Qena, Egypt taken at Qena General Hospital on November 10, 2007.

Field Journal: Casablanca, Morocco Nov. 8-10

Thursday – November 8, 2007
Most of our team has now arrived. This afternoon we went to the Hospital Bouafi where we were welcomed by the director and staff. We were treated to Moroccan tea and pastries and then were given a tour of the area where the medical evaluations will be taking place tomorrow, as well as a tour of the operating rooms and the pre and post operative wards where surgeries will be taking place next week.

The team was honored to be invited to dinner by the Governor of El Fida-Mers Sultan at the stunning Mechouar Palace. This architectural marvel was a part of the king’s palace in Casablanca; it now houses the administrative offices for the region of Casablanca.

Friday - November 9, 2007 - Day One of Screening
It’s been an exciting day. We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 A.M. this morning and were greeted by parents and their children anxiously awaiting our arrival. While the team got to work, our student volunteers, Jennifer and Megan, cajoled the children to come and play. Soon the ice was broken and they were surrounded by all their new friends.

The Governor of El Fida-Mers Sultan visited the mission site this morning.

Fouzia Mahmoudi, Vice President of Operation Smile Morocco, remarked at the end of the day, “I am very happy with the synergy of the international team and our Moroccan volunteers. We are now a family and there are no differences between nationalities. Everyone is working hard and each person is treating these children as their own.”

By the end of the day, we had done medical evaluations for 190 children and young adults.

Saturday- November 10, 2007 – Day Two of Screening
The team was back at the hospital early in the morning and began the second day of medical evaluations. One of the highlights of the morning was the visit from former World Care Patient Abdoul Kerroumi and his parents with team member, Dr. Michael Earley. The three-year-old boy was sent to Operation Smile Ireland in December of 2006 for craniofacial surgery. Plastic surgeon and Operation Smile Ireland Chairman, Michael Earley repaired Abdul’s bilateral cleft lip and ocular facial cleft. Abdul is doing well and will not need any treatment at the present time.

In the afternoon, the surgical team began unpacking cargo and setting up the operating and recovery rooms.

At the end of the two days we had screened a total of 313 patients. Tomorrow the team will rest so that they will be ready for a busy week of surgeries.

- Leila Hemaidan, Operation Smile Staff

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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

Greetings from Jimma, Ethiopia

Jimma is a large bustling city surrounded by very beautiful and lush countryside. It is a busy city with people everywhere. The sights, sounds and smells - sensory overload. It is difficult to describe in words so we will provide some photos for you soon.

The entire team is united in their first impression of Ethiopia as a country with a beautiful, sensitive and dignified race despite the extreme poverty. It was generally agreed that the conditions are very challenging but we are at one in our desire to help transform the lives of our patients.

Screening began on Thursday and we have seen 116 patients so far. Children, adolescents and adults traveled miles in the hope of treatment. Many patients traveled for days to reach our hospital. One late straggler was nearly missed as she arrived late, having traveled barefoot for three days with her dad.

Throughout the screening process some children were apprehensive but yet always smiling. We are all struck by the beauty of these children. The adult patients, some of whom have waited 45 years for an operation, were an inspiration to us. We hope to change the lives of our patients one smile at a time.

AS one of our volunteers eloquently put it, “a dream that has been with him since graduation has just come through”

Here’s to a busy and successful week of surgery.

-The International Operation Smile Team, Jimma, Ethiopia

Screening in Casablanca

Photos from Day One Screening in Casablanca, Morocco, during which 190 patients were evaluated.

Field Journal from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tuesday, November 6
The main contingent of the WJOS Ethiopia Teams for Addis Ababa and Jimma arrived in Addis late Tuesday night. We were greeted by brightly colored lights in honor of the Ethiopian Millennium celebration as we traveled to our hotel for the night.

Wednesday, November 7
The Jimma team packed up and flew on to Jimma early on Wednesday morning. The Addis Ababa team, led by Ed Clune met for an early afternoon tour of Black Lion Hospital.

We found that families were already starting to gather. They had heard the news on the radio or from friends and family who had had seen Sampson Tesfaye, OS Ethiopia Country Manager on a television interview.

They had walked. One family rode a borrowed horse. They sold their goats and cows for bus fare. Some had been here for several days, eagerly waiting for the team to arrive. All were willing to do anything for what they felt was the one chance for their child to have a life transforming surgery. Through our translators, we explained where screening would be taking place beginning the next day.

Thursday, November 8, 2007 – Day One Screening
6:00am came quickly and soon we were all on our way to the hospital for medical screening. Hundreds of families were gathered. A sea of faces; parents, children, friends and family. Quiet. Patiently waiting while the team set up. Many of them were at the hospital for a second or third attempt – having been turned away in the past.

What surprised us was the large number of school age children. Unfortunately, 80% of the 160+ children screened this first day shared with us they do not attend school. They had been teased and taunted, so that shame and embarrassment kept them away.

Towards the end of the day, we met Birtukan, age 15. She and her Grandfather had walked three hours and then took the bus 100km to get to the hospital. Birtukan has never been to school. She never leaves the house. She has never been allowed to visit a relative’s home and she has no friends. Since birth she had been kept inside her families home. Her Grandfather heard about Operation Smile just that morning and borrowed money for the fare. She said “I’m so glad to be here. I want this operation. I want to do what other girls do.”

The dedicated team of volunteers wrapped up nine hours of screening explaining to waiting families that Operation Smile would be back tomorrow morning.

Friday, November 9, 2007 – Day Two Screening
Our second day of screening began early with clouds and light rain. That didn’t stop the families from coming back to finish their examinations and a small group of new families from arriving at Black Lion Hospital.

As we arrived, a man in the crowd called out “Please, please, my child has been turned away four times already!” His name is Mengistu and he was with his wife, Zenubu. In her arms was their daughter Meti, a 4 ½ year old with a unilateral cleft lip. The father was nervous with anxiety.

This loving dad has been taking his daughter to clinics and hospitals since she was only six months old. Time after time, she has been refused surgery. Sometimes, it was because she was too young. Or because she was sick with a cold.

During the painful process of trying to treat his daughter, he had sold his most precious possessions: his cows. He had sold four cows already – only one cow remained. It was the only animal he had left.

Then he heard Operation Smile was coming back to Addis.

He and his family walked 11 hours to the closest town. To make the journey, he had to sell his one remaining cow for 400 birr. (~$40 US). From there, they traveled two days by bus to arrive at Black Lion Hospital.

He shares with us how difficult it is to hear other people teasing his daughter. “When people she her, they curse at her. They look at us differently and they call us names. They say this is not natural. They feel she is this way because we have done something wrong. I get so upset when I hear this. What can I say? This is nature. I just tell them that technology has grown and she’ll be fixed someday.”

This family and their story touched every member of the volunteer medical team. As Meti moved through the screening stations, her father shared his story again. With each step of the way you could see that he was less anxious. His daughter was healthy and she met the criteria to receive surgery. Now, he waits patiently for tomorrow, when he will find out if she has been selected.

By the end of the second day of screening, 199 patients have received full medical examinations.

– Jann Schultz, Operation Smile Staff

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Student Blogger in Jordan

As part of our partnership with Microsoft and Windows Live, Microsoft has provided 5 Operation Smile student volunteers with laptops so they can provide updates from the field, and one is reporting in from Jordan. Be sure to check out Tiana Jeppsen’s blog from Amman.

Tiana’s blog can be found at http://tianajeppsen.spaces.live.com/

Find out more about Windows Live at http://www.windowslive.com/smile

Update & Video from Nairobi, Kenya

Tuesday, November 6
The WJOS Kenya Advance Team members arrived in Nairobi throughout the day on in order to travel to their mission sites in Nakuru and Kisumu on Wednesday. We, the Nairobi team, were to stay put.

Wednesday, November 7
Our team toured the hospital to acclimate ourselves with the setup during the next two days of medical screening as well as surgery week.

Thursday, November 8 – Screening Day One
The team members who were able to sleep through the night (many suffered jet lag!) rose to a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call. The jet-laggers were already up and ready to go. Breakfast ensued downstairs with our first team meeting; we all introduced ourselves with our specialties’ Team Leaders providing direction and enthusiasm for the nine long, challenging, emotional and life-changing days ahead of us.

We boarded our bus for the hospital at 7:00 a.m.; in just 5 minutes we arrived to a large crowd anxiously waiting for us: tiny babies with clefts, many burn scars — all in bright clothing, children bound to their mothers’ backs with colorful sarongs; little girls in their finest dresses, their parents’ hoping that will heighten their chances for surgery. Quickly, the team set up the stations to provide full medical evaluations for the crowd downstairs.

Most of the cases we saw were palates and burns. Of the cleft lips screened, many were too young per our surgical protocols to receive surgery, meaning children born with cleft lips in the past year had already been treated by local programs. “…it’s a testament to the true success of the Operation Smile programs in Kenya, especially Nairobi,” acknowledged Dr. Ankur Pandya, our plastic surgery Team Leader and Operation Smile United Kingdom volunteer who traveled from London.

Screening continued throughout the day, until 7:00 p.m., with quick shift breaks for tea and lunch. In all, 138 children and young adults were provided with full medical evaluations. More tomorrow.

– Katherine Taylor, Operation Smile Staff

Update from Jimma, Ethiopia

The majority of the Jimma team has arrived and enjoyed their first 2 days in Jimma. After an afternoon of exploring the city on Wednesday, they worked Thursday to screen 81 patients. 69 of these were priority 1, unrepaired cleft lips - including many older children and adults. The team has banded together to work through the problems created by our lack of cargo and has stayed positive and optimistic. We are looking forward to another full day of screening on Friday.

- Megan Coe, Operation Smile Staff

Team Nakuru Update

The first day of screening is finished here in Nakuru, Kenya. It was a fantastic day; 188 potential patients were screened, and the team was tired but happy by the time we wrapped up. We had two girls travel from the north of Kenya, near the Sudanese boarder, to be screened - a three day trip! We hope to provide surgery to them and many other patients next week!

-Emily Wolff, Operation Smile, Inc. Staff

Europe, the Middle East and Africa are excited about the World Journey of Smiles

Operation Smile partner countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are excited about the World Journey of Smiles and consider it a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the organization’s history, invest in the present and launch the future. In November, Operation Smile Mission in Kenya is celebrating its 20th anniversary with three medical mission sites and a number of activities that will emphasize its programmatic self sufficiency. Operation Smile Russia is conducting two medical missions in Siberia with local in-country volunteers. Operation Smile in Ethiopia emphasizes again the support role that resource countries Italy, Ireland and the United Kingdom have had in its development. Operation Smile South Africa is launching its expansion plan by leading the first mission to Madagascar. In the Middle East, Jordan continues to lead our efforts and will help children in need from Iraq and Palestine. Thanks to our partnership with the International Organization of Migration, systems to provide medical evaluations and transport children from Iraq were put in place. Many of the regions non-medical volunteers are members of the 150 member Operation Smile Student Association in Amman. Operation Smile Egypt is expanding and providing many local in-country volunteers who will work together on the medical mission in Qena. Morocco will be launching the first Comprehensive Care Center in Northern Africa and will conduct two medical missions during the World Journey of Smiles. For the region, the World Journey of Smiles represents the launch platform towards high quality, long term, self sufficiency plans for all the foundations. With the donation of equipment, training programs, quality control systems and the incredible volunteers, Operation Smile is a leader in its field and a partner for organizations and institutions that want to create sustainable impact for their children. All of this and more is in store for the World Journey of Smiles and beyond and will keep the Operation Smile family enthusiastic. It was with enthusiasm and a visionary spirit that Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee forged 25 years ago in Naga City, the Philippines, to establish Operation Smile.

– Gianluca Biavati - Regional Vice President, Europe, Middle East & Africa