181 undergo free facial surgery

CEBU, Philippines - At least 181 children and adults in Cebu who used to living with facial deformities are now seen to live a normal life after undergoing reconstructive facial surgery.

“Mapasalamaton jud ko kay gasto baya ang magpaopera unya kani free ra so blessing kaayo,” Sonia Alfafara, a mother of a cleft palate patient, said.

Some parents whose children are regular beneficiaries of the Operation Smile, a non-profit medical organization that focuses on providing free surgeries for cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities for children around the globe, were thankful and satisfied with the operation. 

The five-day free medical mission was the 16th annual mission of the civic organization held at the Adventist Hospital Cebu, formerly HW Miller Hospital and Sanitarium in Cebu City.

At least 300 foreign medical professionals parti-cipated in the said cause.

“We are here in the Philippines to begin our mega mission because if not for Filipinos, there would not have been Operation Smile,” Dr. William Magee, founder and CEO of Operation Smile said.

The surgery often lasts only for 45 minutes but will already transform the lives of cleft children forever, expressed Magee.

“Operation smile was given a gift to take care of children. It is not fair for children to group with facial deformities. Why would a child live with that if we know how to fix it? We know the solution to this,” said Magee.

He said that in 100 million people, there are at least 200,000 children with cleft lips and palates.

Dr. Vivina Chiu, the Medical Director of MSY, said they are bound with the mission to help the people living with facial deformities.

 â€œThe mission is fully equipped from the smallest detail to the recovery,” she added.

Since 1998, almost 4,000 children have already benefitted from Operation Smile Medical Mission in Cebu in partnership with the Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Operation Smile is a major project of MSYCFI and has helped children with facial deformities. The surgery would normally cost around P60,000 to P100,000.

Operation Smile began in the Philippines with its first mission in Naga City, Camarines Sur in 1982.  Magee and his wife, Kathy, a nurse and social worker, traveled to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers to repair children’s cleft lips and cleft palates.

They discovered hundreds of children with deformities and although they helped many children, the volunteers were forced to turn away majority of those who sought help. The Magees saw the need to do more and Operation Smile was born.

Operation Smile’s international missions are conducted throughout the year in hard-to-reach places throughout the world. International missions involve up to 540 medical volunteers who travel to partner with 60 countries to provide surgeries for children over a two-week period. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, Kristine B. Quintas, Eunice Villariza, USJR MassComm Intern/NSA (FREEMAN)