Operation Smile UK

Patients in Madagascar recently had life-changing surgery and comprehensive care at a surgical programme in Antsirabe. 86 medical volunteers from 13 countries came together to change lives, at the Centre Hospitalier de Référence Régionale (CHRR), the biggest referral hospital in the region. The CHRR has been recently renovated by #OperationSmile, in partnership with the UBS Optimus Foundation. The renovation was part of a Global Essential Surgery project which aims to address the root causes of why people struggle to access surgery. Medical volunteers used three of the CHRR's five recently renovated operating rooms. One of the surgical tables was dedicated to training, where Prof. Romain Raherison, a leading local #cleft surgeon, mentored Prof. John Alberto, a general surgeon participating in the Operation Smile training programme. 110 patients received life-changing surgery, 55 patients had dental care and 36 received speech and language therapy. Read the full story here 👇 https://loom.ly/ShB8mYw #HealthForAll #GlobalSurgery

With many patients living in remote areas, patient advocates like Dadafara in #Madagascar play a vital role in finding new patients and challenging the stigma that often surrounds #cleft conditions. People in remote communities are often unaware that cleft conditions can be treated. They may also fear doctors and hospitals or worry that surgery is too dangerous. Many of our patient advocates are parents or relatives of previous Operation Smile patients. Being able to share their own personal experiences of Operation Smile helps build trust and reassure worried families. Patient advocate Dadafara is the grandfather of one of our patients. He wanted to help other families like his after seeing his granddaughter's transformation after #cleft surgery. He told us: "I show parents photos of my granddaughter Claudia, so they can see that she also had a cleft and now she is fine. I do my best to convince them that Operation Smile can provide surgery and this care is safe and free, they will cover all the expenses." #cleftlip #cleftpalate #OperationSmile

We're delighted to share some action footage of Hugh Tamlyn, from corporate partner Beacon Search. Hugh set himself a goal to raise £15,000 for #OperationSmile during the past year. And, thanks to pure grit and dedication to the cause, he did it! Cycling more than 2,100km and clocking up an average distance of 160km (100 miles) each day, Hugh overcame numerous challenges and injuries along the way. Thank you to Hugh and to Beacon Search for this amazing achievement. To give you an idea of the scale, the funds raised are enough to provide life-changing surgery to 100 children with #cleft conditions. #OperationSmile #csr #partnership #SmileHeroes

Anuraag Guleria has travelled all over the world helping children and adults with #cleft conditions. From Nicaragua to Morocco, she’s been a valuable addition to the #OperationSmile team, sharing her time and expertise as an #anaesthetist, for free, on more than ten surgical programmes. In her day job, Anuraag works in Manchester as a consultant anaesthetist. Although she’s involved in adult surgery when required, her main focus is on paediatrics. Like many of our #volunteers, Anuraag has also worked with other charities and organisations but enjoys the work she does with Operation Smile because of the impact it has on the lives of the children she meets. “I like working in countries where I think I can be useful. Working in environments which are challenging and surgeries which need specific and high-risk anaesthetic care. I like working with and helping children and it’s a way of working with those who would normally not get care. "I enjoy the challenge and it’s amazing that we can do highly specialised procedures with such ease and do them safely in these kinds of environments. That’s what keeps me trying. It changes the kid’s life so much.” Sincere thanks to Anuraag and all of our dedicated medical volunteers.

Meet Dr Elliot Arko-Boham, a plastic surgeon from Ghana. Elliot's been involved with #OperationSmile since his residency in plastic surgery. He's been trained and mentored by experienced Operation Smile #volunteers from all over the world. Today he works at the Korle Bu Teaching hospital, as part of a team led by Dr Opuku Ampomah, the Medical Director at Operation Smile Ghana. Elliot is motivated by seeing the impact of surgery on the patients he treats. He says: “It’s the desire to see the result of what you've done. Not all people are born with the same opportunities. Often people don't even know that a cleft can be repaired. So to be able to sacrifice a bit of time and go to remote areas and get the opportunity to see people smile. People who came probably didn't have any hope at all. To be able to give your time to those people and know you've made a whole change in somebody's life.” His favourite moment is when he can reassure parents of patients after surgery - telling them their child is fine and will now lead a happy, healthy life. Thanks Elliot for your commitment to changing the lives of our patients.

Thanks to corporate partners ICI PARIS XL for raising more than £5700 for children with #cleft conditions. They've donated money for every Scento diffuser sold. "At ICI PARIS XL, our mission is to make everyone shine and bring a smile to their faces. We are delighted that through this product initiative, we have been able to raise a significant donation amount. With our contribution, Operation Smile can give these children hope for a better life with education, friends, laughter and so much more!" 👏

Speech therapy is a vital part of the #cleft care we offer our patients. It enables children who may never have attended school because of their cleft condition, to finally branch out, build friendships and thrive. Gloria Vilches, is a coordinator for #speechtherapy and #audiology, she works with children and their families in #Honduras, providing them vital support before and after surgery. She told us: “Most of these children, their parents even, don’t feel comfortable with them attending school. A lot of these children don’t go to school, they don’t learn how to read and write, so it’s very important for the parents to feel confident in the training that we provide for them. "Once the child feels comfortable with the way they speak, then they are more outgoing, and they socialize a lot more. With that support, they flourish, and you can really see a difference once they start. They notice that they are talking better and that they’re talking more like their peers.” #OperationSmile

Plastic surgeon Dr (Wg Cdr) Ankur Pandya has been volunteering for #OperationSmile since 2006. Based in the UK, he’s an expert in #cleft surgery, congenital hand surgery, burns care and complex reconstructive surgery. These skills are in high demand in many of the countries where we work. Thanks to their specialist expertise, #medicalvolunteers like Ankur, are having a significant and long-term impact on health services across the globe. An impact that reaches way beyond life-changing cleft surgery and a positive step towards meeting the shortfall of trained surgical specialists in many countries. Keen to share his skills to benefit as many patients as possible, Ankur’s been involved in training and education programmes in countries like Mozambique, Palestine and Nepal. Training local surgeons to handle more complex surgical cases, improves outcomes for the many young patients currently waiting for specialist reconstructive surgery. We caught up with Ankur recently after his return from Nepal, where his expertise in treating burns has proved invaluable for the young patients he met during his trip. Read his interview here 👇 https://loom.ly/wv4_I3U #GlobalHealth #HealthForAll

Last month we held our first #webinar for supporters to share more information about #cleft surgery, non-surgical intervention and the work of our policy and advocacy team. Our three expert speakers did a fantastic job of bringing to life these important strands of our work. We'd like to thank Dr Bart Stubinetsky for his incredible description of his work as a #volunteer surgeon, Charlotte Steppling for her amazing guide to non-surgical intervention, and Irene Devine Dzirasa for her wonderful explanation of advocacy. One supporter described it as 'heartbreaking and so moving' seeing the changes to our patients' lives. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Last month our team of nine dedicated marathon runners took to the streets of London for the TCS London Marathon 2024. This year’s crew included a mix of community members and employees from some of our corporate partners. All were united by the goal of raising funds and awareness for #OperationSmile. In the months leading up to the #marathon, our runners displayed amazing dedication in their training and unwavering commitment to the cause. Their hard work culminated in a spectacular day filled with positive energy and support from the crowd. The Operation Smile cheering squad were delighted to encourage our runners as they passed by and handed out much-needed sweets for energy. Thanks to our runners’ efforts and matched donations from some of our corporate partners, the team raised more than £29,000! Huge thanks to everyone who took part and to those who supported them in making the day a resounding success. #londonmarathon #smileheroes