The Smile Foundation continues to bring joy and bolster the self-esteem of children with facial abnormalities.
Over 4 000 children with conditions such as cleft lip and cleft palate have been assisted since the formation of the Smile Foundation.
This week alone, 17 children in the Northern Cape boost a smile on their faces following successful surgeries.
It is at this hospital where lives are changed for the better. Families from far-flung rural villages pinned their hopes on these doctors. Children as young as 2 months have been given a new lease of life and relieved parents are beaming with pride.
“The first time I saw my child like this I felt like my child will never fit in with other kids. If each of us can give R100 to support this clinic and these doctors, it will change one child’s life with cleft lip forever,” says the mother of one of the assisted children, Charlene Van Rooyen.
Another mother, Kealeboga Polelo says, “I am truly happy because my child was not walking, now he is fine.”
Plastic and reconstructive experts say they take pride in positively changing the lives of children.
“We do cleft palate, cleft lip, burns reconstruction, and hair reconstruction procedures. So, it is a joy to work with the Smile Foundation because we have a backlog of operations,” says Head of Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery Dr. Maria Giaquinto-Cilliers.
However, life-changing surgeries are not without challenges. “We are trying our best of course the public hospital has some challenges that we, unfortunately, cannot overcome quickly, so, we try to book patients with elective cases that were not done during the COVID-19.”
The foundation celebrates 21 years of existence and this year their work has also expanded to include burn victims.
