MSYCFI-Opsmile Mission's 10th year

This year, from February 27 to March 3, 2007, MSYCFI, Operation Smile International, Operation Smile Philippines Foundation and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center join hands once again to give "Free Operation" to indigent children with cleft lips and palates, and those with other facial deformities.

Mrs. Monette Aliño, Executive Director of MSYCFI and Cebu coordinator, announced that last December 1, 2006, that registration of patients started at the OPD - Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center and will continue until February 23, 2007.

Those outside the city, please go to your Barangay Health Centers in the province and also in the cities of Metro Cebu.

For volunteer nurses, please contact Mrs. Aliño at Tel. 231-1829 or drop by her office at Suite 501, Cebu Holdings Center, Cebu Business Park (in front of Cebu City Marriott Hotel), Cebu City. Deadline for submission of requirement is Feb. 1, 2007. Please be guided accordingly.

Meanwhile, we got a letter from Elexa Ruth, a young and beautiful volunteer of OPI based in New York who was with the group that came here last year. She spearheaded a fundraising event in New York a few months back for the benefit of Operation Smile International. The affair was a VIP Dinner with live runway show and a musical performance at the Skylight Studios in New York.

Dubbed "JR. Smile Collection Couture Event 2006", Chair Elexa Ruth had billionaire Donald Trump as her number one supporter. He happens to be a good friend of her parents, so we've heard. Members of her committee were all teenagers like her: Nicole and Megan Ruth, Delon DeMetz, JT Della Femina, Danielle Shabtai, Rachel Hodin, Amanda Cole, Sydney Sherman, Lizzie Pergament, Aliana Lohan, et al.

According to Elexa, a country sponsor would pay $25, 000 with VIP table reservation and premier seating for 10, including a designer fashion show and invitation to a post-event party with musical performance. The amount will give surgery to 104 children; $10, 000 - surgery to 41 children; and down to individual tickets that cost $250 to give surgery to 1 child.

What Elexa Ruth and her group did was an overwhelming and fantastic job. And they were able to generate thousands of dollars for the benefit of the children of the world with facial deformities. As Elexa said: "Together we create smiles, change lives, and heal humanity!" Atta girl, Elexa...may your tribe increase!

And speaking of Operation Smile, George Yarbrough, Mission Coordinator of OPSmile International, came to Cebu a week ago and met with Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center officials - Dr. Gerardo Aquino, Chief of Hospitals and Dr. Roque Paradela, Chief of Clinics. Yarbrough was accompanied by Monette and this writer and was glad to see that facilities of VSMMC are fit to the needs of OPSmile. He also met over breakfast some doctors who are involved with OPSmile mission in Cebu, like Dr. Vivian Chiu, Dr. Alain Senerpida and wife Dr. Cristina Senerpida with Dr. Pons del Prado, anesthesiologist.