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Operation Smile India Featured Charity at India Kids Fashion Week 2012

January 24, 2012 — Rohan Das, Marketing and Fundraising, Operation Smile India

MUMBAI, India – From January 17 to 19, 2012, Operation Smile India was the featured charity in the first edition of India Kids Fashion Week 2012. This was the first event of its kind in India to celebrate and promote children’s fashion.

As a socially responsible event, India Kids Fashion Week chose to support the cause of Operation Smile India and bring awareness to children born with clefts.

India Kids Fashion Week lent significant support in raising awareness about facial deformities and promoted Operation Smile India on their Facebook and Twitter throughout the months of December and January.

Operation Smile India had an information counter at the event venue where visitors could collect information brochures and watch patient’s smile stories that were being played on a large plasma display.

On the evening of the final day of the event, a special show was presented dedicated to Operation Smile India. Aimed at showcasing the work of Operation Smile India and raising awareness about clefts, Operation Smile’s “A Smile Changes Everything" was played which was then followed by a special appearance on the runway by actress, leading child rights activist and Smile Ambassador for Operation Smile India Nandana Sen, along with two former patients - Kiran and Pallavi.

Kiran from Guwahati, Assam, and Pallavi, from Aurangabad, were both born with cleft deformities and received free, life-changing surgeries at Operation Smile’s medical missions.

Both of the little beauties, along with Nandana Sen, daughter of Professor Amartya Sen, a Nobel Laureate Economist from India, instantly stole everyone’s heart with their new smiles and were greeted with a roaring round of applause.

Operation Smile India would like to thank Beebay for dressing Kiran and Pallavi for their big night in their colorful clothes, Elephantstic for gifting the beautiful shoes, and Zoop by Titan for the cool watches they proudly flaunted! And of course, we are grateful to our Smile Ambassador Nandana Sen and the gracious support of everyone at India Kids Fashion Week.

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Operation Smile to be operational in 70 countries by the end of the year

10 Years of Smiles at the Hurlingham Clb

Operation Smile, the charity that transforms the lives of people in need of cleft lip and palate operations around the world, has announced that it plans to be operational in at least 70 countries by the end of the year, after a star-studded ball to celebrate ten years of its existence raised a record sum of £220,000. The charity also plans to perform 18,000 surgical procedures by the end of their financial year, June 2012.

Elizabeth Hurley, Anthony Andrews and Duncan Bannatyne were among celebrities who bid and won on auction lots at an event on Thursday night which will now allow the charity to build on its successful first decade in the UK. The global organisation which is 30 years old next year, has performed over 200,000 free surgeries and 2,000,000 medical evaluations on children born with facial deformities. The ball, hosted by comedian Andy Parsons was attended by over 600 guests, including celebrity supporters Shane Warne and England cricket captain Andrew Strauss OBE. Strictly Come Dancing Star Brendan Cole was also a guest at London’s Hurlingham Club, and he auctioned himself off for the first dance of the evening.

Alex Talbot, Chief Executive of Operation Smile, commented, "We will break new ground in the coming year, so the Ten Years of Smiles we have delivered to date will grow broader and broader as we head into the next decade. Our thanks go out to the many well-known names who have given so generously of both their time and their money, and to all our supporters who made this year's fund-raiser such a success."

Celebrity supporter Shane Warne tweeted: “Well done to everyone involved at Operation Smile on your achievements and making a wonderful difference to children’s lives. Very moving!” and his fiance Elizabeth Hurley tweeted: "www.operationsmile.org.uk is a superb charity: they have fixed cleft lips & palates on 200,000 kids to date." and "We attended their fundraiser last night. Superb speech from Operation Smile founder. Excellent evening & much funds raised."

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Jackie Chan Inspires Youth at Operation Smile’s 2011 International Student Cultural Exchange in Beijing

More than 750 students from 23 countries convening at

As a supporter of Operation Smile for more than 18 years, Jackie Chan will join other internationally-respected speakers at the organisation’s largest ever annual International Student Cultural Exchange (ISCE).

Almost 800 college and high school students from 23 countries around the world will gather from August 1-7 at the Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall in China to learn firsthand how to enhance their knowledge of global cultures, strengthen their character, and develop into future philanthropic leaders. Named one of the most philanthropic people in Asia by Forbes Asia in 2010, Jackie Chan is a wonderful mentor to inspire students to make a difference in their communities and around the world and help change lives for the better.

For almost 2 decades, Jackie Chan has helped to spread awareness for children suffering from cleft lip and cleft palate and Operation Smile’s work in China. In 1993, he donated $2 million (HK) and an anesthesia machine to help Operation Smile provide free surgeries for more children in China.

For his many years of generous support and advocacy of Operation Smile’s work, Jackie Chan was named an International Smile Ambassador for Operation Smile China medical project. In Hangzhou, he has toured Operation Smile China’s Comprehensive Care Center, China’s first charity hospital, and lent his support for many fundraising events in Hong Kong. In 2009, during Operation Smile’s 20th anniversary commemoration of its work in Vietnam, Jackie Chan along with Operation Smile Co-Founders Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee received the National Medal for Peace and Friendship Among Nations award from the Vietnamese government.

“I have experienced very personally how this surgery is life-changing and I am honoured to have been a part of this program with you," said Mr. Chan.



The ISCE is hosted by Operation Smile, an international children’s medical charity that provides free surgery for children in developing countries who were born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. Students will participate in team-building activities that celebrate their diversity. This year’s motto – Now is the Time! – will be incorporated throughout the ISCE, motivating students to make a difference in the world today.

The goal of ISCE is to educate students on the value of service in their communities and help them establish a lifetime of giving. ISCE participants hail from more than 23different countries. Thousands of students in more than 700 schools around the world are involved in Operation Smile’s Student Programs, making a difference in children’s lives and learning the importance of volunteerism.

Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong-born actor who also is an action choreographer, filmmaker, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts. Jackie Chan has appeared in over 100 films, and has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Researching the Cause of Clefting in the Congo

Operation Smile continues to focus not only on the safety and quality in surgically treating clefts around the world, but also conducting innovative research to better understand clefting and identify its causes in order to prevent or diminish the incidence of cleft lip and cleft palate.

Some of Operation Smile’s research focus areas include epidemiology, genetics, surgical procedures, speech pathology, dentistry, anesthesiology and psychology. Operation Smile’s Research and Outcomes Department will help provide greater understanding of the condition and ways to better serve our patient population with optimal care and treatment.

One of Operation Smile’s latest efforts in the research front is the current “Maternal Exposures, Genetic Susceptibility and Environmental Factors in the Etiology of Oral Clefts” project as part of the International Family Study, which just took place in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Operation Smile’s Research and Outcomes Specialists collected DNA samples and epidemiological information of patients born with clefts, as well as family members present, on our third medical mission to the Congo.

Altogether, 146 individuals from affected and unaffected populations agreed to be part of the study, which was supported by the Ministry of Health of Kinshasa, Hospital Ngaliema, General Hospital of Kinshasa, Hospital Roi Baudoin and is a joint effort between Operation Smile and University of Southern California, with the sponsorship of Sorenson Foundation.

Read an overview of Operation Smile's ongoing research

- Dr. Ana Karina Lizarraga, MD, Research and Outcomes Specialist and Kristen Trost, Research and Outcomes Coordinator

Collecting Data and DNA Samples in Kinshasa, DRC

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Operation Smile Medical Project – a Mother’s View

Sarah Bracken, a mother of 4 had been supporting Operation Smile for some time. However, when the opportunity arose for her to visit a medical project with her friend Helen in Nicaragua she jumped at the opportunity to see how her support was really making a difference.

Helen and I arrived at the Medical Project next to the Hospital in Chinandega on Thursday 17th February. We had no idea what to expect or what we would be required to do. We were non-medical volunteers helping (in whatever way we could) a huge team of doctors, surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists who were going to be performing life-changing cleft lip and palate operations on those children who met all the criteria. The atmosphere was incredible, almost electric; everyone was so excited and so positive.

The project area outside was set up for screening and examinations. A local sponsor had provided shades to keep the sun off the queuing families in front of which a team sat at a Registration station where the medical records were filled in, next to that a photo station where Helen and I had been asked to take the identification photos for the medical records and then the Photo Imaging Technician “PIT” station where the children were photographed throughout the process, from Screening to Surgery to Recovery to ensure that high standards of surgery were always maintained.

The children were then examined by surgeons, doctors, speech therapists and dentists, had their blood taken and weight and temperature recorded. By the end of Screening, an entire record had been compiled containing every possible detail about the child so the surgeons and doctors could make informed decisions about each child and whether or not they were suitable for surgery. Some children were too young, or weighed too little, and some had illnesses so they could not have the operation this time but were given a card and asked to return for treatment at a later date when the team returned again.

Four month old Wiston had travelled to Chinandega with his mother, Leos and grandmother, Boaca who he lives with 70 miles east of Chinandega. When I met Wiston, he was sitting with his mother and grandmother under a tree in 90 degree heat amongst all the others who had travelled for miles for the chance of life changing surgery. Wiston had a cleft lip and palate and had trouble drinking, his mother was only able to breastfeed him for a month and now he drinks somewhat awkwardly from a bottle despite having a special plastic palate to help him. His palate and lip were open right into his nose. His upper jaw was severely deformed and he had several teeth growing awkwardly. With the help of a translator I was able to sit and chat with Leos for a while. She was very conscientiously giving him vitamin C and iron drops as I sat with her, even so little Wiston has suffered from a cough since the day he was born. I could only hope he would be chosen for surgery.

The screening process continued for a further day. Wiston was always on my mind and as I assisted the medical records team input all the data into the computer, I couldn’t help looking out for his details and tracking his progress. Any chance I had to chat to the surgeons, I took the opportunity to find out if anything had been decided with regards to little Wiston. Obviously no one could tell me anything until the Friday night when we sat round and watched in awe as the surgeons discussed each case individually and scheduled all the surgeries to start on Monday morning. Wiston was indeed a low weight but to my complete delight, I discovered that he had been cleared for a lip repair.



The first day of operations was phenomenal, Helen and I were allowed to observe in the Operation Theatre. I had never been squeamish but I did not think I would be able to watch a whole operation. In fact, we stood for hours and watched with fascination as the surgeons inked the lines on the children’s lips, then finally cutting and sewing it all up, moving nostrils, making stitches here and there to perfect the symmetry of the face leaving the child with a completely different mouth and jaw, in a few hours completely changing their lives…..

Tuesday morning came and I dashed into the pre-op ward to see Wiston and his mother. As ever she looked frightened, almost pale with fear and anxiety about what was to come. At 7am having not had any food all night, Wiston was on surprisingly good form as if he knew that it was all going to be good for him. I offered to take Wiston from his mum and had the most beautiful few moments with him before he went into surgery. He nestled into my chest and for a moment I almost thought he was going to go to sleep, I was so pleased he was calm and happy. As each child was taken from their mum, the anaesthetist gave the mum a reassuring hug, tears were shed and as a mum of four myself, I knew how they felt handing their children over, worrying if they would ever see them again. Wiston was the last one to be called, I offered Wiston back to his mum for a cuddle but Leos couldn’t bear it and just wanted us to take him. I handed him to the anaesthetist, Leos had to go outside she was so overcome. I dashed outside and hugged her, assuring her that everything would be fine and that to the extent I could, I would hold his hand through the operation.

I left her to have a few moments to herself and in the comforting hands of the Child Life team and psychologists whose job it was to reassure the mums and make them feel a bit better with affection, cuddles and reassuring words. I assured Leos I would go and find out how Wiston was doing and watch as much of the operation as I could before having to leave for the airport. Despite my family waiting for me at home, I felt a huge need to cancel my flight so that I could see Wiston and his mum through this ordeal. Scrubbed up, I went into the Theatre to find the anaesthetists trying to find a vein for his IV, he was asleep but looking so vulnerable, I felt a huge surge of motherly protection towards him as if he was my own. It gave me such confidence to know that Wiston was in good hands. If only I could pass some of this confidence on to Leos.

Once the surgeon started her work, I went outside again to see Leos. She was calmer than when I had left her, quiet, pensive and alone. I grabbed a translator and talked to her again to reassure her the operation was going well. Although I was leaving that day, I told Leos how much she and her son had touched my heart and how I would be so excited to see the pictures of him when he came out of the operation. We shared an emotional few moments, two mothers from such different worlds but the same raw emotions uniting us and through her eyes I knew how she felt.

Back in England, I eagerly awaited news of Wiston’s operation, which had lasted nearly three hours but had gone smoothly. My new friends on the team flooded me with photos of him as he came out of the operation. The change was remarkable, Leos looked so happy to see Wiston’s face, completely repaired. Operation Smile had changed his life.

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International Student Conference Ireland

Last few places remaining

Are you tired of waiting around for someone else to make a difference in the world? No more excuses, now is the time to Be Someone! How can I make this great leap, you ask? A great place to start is by coming to Operation Smile’s Irish Student Leadership conference (ISLC) at The University of Limerick, Ireland!

Every summer, Operation Smile Ireland holds an international conference for students between the ages of 14 and 18. By participating in the ISLC 2011 from the 11th to the 15th July, you will build leadership skills, develop your character and learn about philanthropy.

Each participant will become part of a team, themed by colours. Together, team members bond through team sessions, team games and team banners. There will also be a series of inspirational speakers including Paul O’Connel (Irish Rugby player) and Sarah Newman (Ireland’s only female dragon from the popular TV series Dragon’s Den). Get ready to meet great people and have a lot of fun!

This summer’s conference in Ireland is sure to be an amazing, empowering, inspiring experience, for students from around the world!

The ISLC registration fee is £350 this includes accommodation and meals. Students will need to arrange and pay for their flights directly. For more information contact the student programs at info@operationsmile.org.uk

Download your registration form here

Want to fundraise for your registration fee?

Contact our Fundarising Team to get ideas on how to go about it.

Key things to remember if fundraising for your ISLC registration fee:

• Make sure donors know that they are donating towards your ‘ISLC Registration Fee,’ not directly to Operation Smile to help provide surgeries.
  
  
• If cheques are made out to the organisation, they must be made out directly to “Operation Smile UK” and include participant’s full name/ISLC enclosed with the cheque.
  
  
• Operation Smile cannot make any reimbursements to those donating for your fee, so it is a good option to collect all the donations yourself and then submit them at once for your fee. You may feel surprised by the generosity of those willing to support your interest and effort to attend. If you raise in excess of your fee, we welcome donations towards Operation Smile provide surgeries
  
  

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National Nurses Week!

To All of My Operation Smile Colleagues:

National Nurses Week is 6 – 12 May, and it represents one week when we recognise our nurses for all they do during every day of the year.

These are the men and women who have taken their talents a step further by giving so much of themselves to help children worldwide. They have embraced Operation Smile in unprecedented ways to ensure that we represent to the world what nursing and nurses represent to themselves and their profession. They ARE the Best of the Best – every day, every year and every medial project! Our appreciation for the time, effort and passion they selflessly share for our children should be boundless.

Historically, nurses have been at the forefront during the most trying of times, including periods of war, devastating natural disasters and acts of terrorism. For the sick, the suffering, the dying, and the frightened who unintentionally rely on their expertise to help, they represent hope.

Twenty-five years ago a nurse, Mary B. Mallison, wrote an editorial for the American Journal of Nursing, entitled: "How Can You Bear to Be a Nurse?" It was full of the usual anecdotal quips about nurses and nursing but she asked one question, which says it all, "How can you be a nurse? How can you bear to watch children suffer? The answer is simple: Wait until you’ve rocked and soothed a suffering child into peaceful sleep, and you feel the child’s relief washing over you like a blessing. Then you won’t need to ask."

During National Nurses Week, I hope you will take a moment to acknowledge the nurses in your offices, clinics, and hospitals. Most especially, please remember and thank our volunteer nurses at Operation Smile.

On behalf of the Nursing Council and all of our Operation Smile colleagues, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our nurses for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to the children of the world and "The Finest Art."

Sincerely



Linda Highfield RN, CNOR

Chair, Operation Smile Nursing Council

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BBC1 "Inside the Human Body: Creation"

featuring OSUK surgeon Per Hall at our new Care Centre in Guwahati, Assam, India

Operation Smile featured in the first episode of this spectacular new documentary series exploring the wonders of the human body. Michael Mosley takes us on a voyage through the workings of our own inner universe, using state-of-the-art graphics to show how the body begins to assemble. Whilst on an Operation Smile medical project in India, "Inside the Human Body" followed leading Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Mr Per Hall to reconstruct the face of an 8 year old girl in Assam. Watch a preview below or watch the whole episode on iPlayer

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Chef Giada de Laurentiis to Light Up the Empire State Building in Honor of Operation Smile

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis will light the Empire State Building orange and blue on Wednesday, May 4 at noon in a special ceremony celebrating Operation Smile’s 8th Annual Smile Event, honoring Santo Versace for his years of commitment and dedication to the organisation.

De Laurentiis, Emmy-award winning host and star of "Everyday Italian" on The Food Network, will serve as a co-host at the Smile Event held May 5 at Cipriani Wall Street.

The 2011 Smile Event will highlight Operation Smile’s success in transforming the lives of children around the world who were born with facial deformities, and enable the organisation to continue their work to build self-sufficiency in its more than 60 partner countries around the world.

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OPERATION SMILE OPENS FOURTH COMPREHENSIVE CARE CENTRE IN INDIA, TO FURTHER EXPAND ITS SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL HEALTH NETWORK

18 April 2011

London, UK - Operation Smile has opened its newest global Comprehensive Care Centre in Guwahati, India, where more than 5,000 children will be treated each year for facial deformities. To create a greater impact and reach more children suffering from clefts, Operation Smile currently operates 11 Comprehensive Care Centres around the world as part of its core programme to build self-sustaining healthcare networks in its partner countries.

The Guwahati Comprehensive Care Centre is Operation Smile’s fourth Care Centre in India, where children suffer a much higher incidence of clefts. To address this overwhelming need, Operation Smile has created a public/private partnership with the Tata Trust and the Government of Assam in India, where the Guwahati Care Centre is located. The Centre has been equipped with state of the art technology and equipment, thanks to a generous grant of over £350,000, provided by Bupa International, the leading expatriate health insurer.

Dr Sneh Khemka, medical director at Bupa International, has worked with and inspected hospitals throughout the world and visited the Centre at MMC Hospital, during an international project which provided free reconstructive surgery to over 500 children born with clefts.

"Visiting the new Operation Smile centre in Guwahati was an experience that brought a new dimension to my understanding of charity work. The centre that has been built is world class, not only in terms of the operating facilities, but in the dedication and quality of all the staff involved,” said Dr Khemka.

Dr Khemka, a former ophthalmic surgeon, spent time supporting the medical volunteers screening 708 patients at the MMC Hospital, each hoping for surgery, and he observed a cleft repair procedure. “It is a truly impressive outfit, and watching the team at work made me realise that there are much greater people in the world, with a true sense of altruism, than I have ever imagined. Bupa International is very proud to be associated with Operation Smile".

The new centre is projected to treat more than 20,000 children in the state of Assam over the next 3-5 years who are born with facial deformities, The centre also offers all the necessary post-operative care, counseling, speech therapy, dentistry, orthodontics and nutritional advice. In addition, local medical specialists will be trained and accredited to Operation Smile’s international standard, ensuring that every patient receives the highest standard of care, every time.

Operation Smile UK’s Chief Executive, Alex Talbot, said “Our care centres provide children and families access to medical treatment that they otherwise may never be able to receive. Partnering with an organisation like Bupa to develop safe and sophisticated medical centres, demonstrates Operation Smile’s commitment to provide every patient with the highest standard of quality care, no matter where they live. Both organisations want to address the health and wellbeing needs of the communities in which we operate.”

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