Smile Train Stories

Kigali, Rwanda — Smile Train’s STOP Clefts initiative recently concluded it’s first phase of activities in Rwanda. STOP Clefts is a program to jump start potential new local partner hospitals in countries and regions that do not have a local team already using established Smile Train partners in bordering countries/regions.

The team provided 146 free cleft surgeries.

In conjunction with the University Teaching Hospital and the Ministry of Health’s public health specialist Dr. Bonaventure Nzeyima, one of Smile Train’s partners in Kenya, Help a Child Face Tomorrow provided training to local doctors and 146 free cleft surgeries.

Deeply religious, when Euginie and her husband’s baby girl was born with a cleft lip, they named her Patience — believing that patience in their faith would make her whole. Their strength and fortitude was rewarded as 6-month-old Patience received free cleft lip surgery at University Teaching Hospital.

While Patience was spared a life of ridicule and torment, Sitefano Niyibizi endured for 60 years before he could get his cleft lip repaired. He lost hope long ago since he never had the money to travel to the city and see a doctor. When he learned about the university’s bus collecting patients in his village, Sitefano dropped everything and hopped on board.. After his cleft surgery, he told the team “If I die today, I will die happy. Thank you for this gift.”

Check out more pictures at our STOP Clefts Rwanda facebook gallery.

If you haven’t heard, the news this week is that Smile Train and Operation Smile will be merging; the new organization will be called Operation Smile Train

This really exciting news, but don’t just take our word for it. Here are comments we’ve received from our Medical Advisory Board and our partner doctors about Operation Smile Train:

Celebrity Supporters

“I am so excited that Smile Train and Operation Smile have joined forces! They are such wonderful organizations and I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with both. By combining their strengths, it really will be the best of both worlds. Not only will they be continuing to focus on treating cleft lips, cleft palates and related issues, but they will also continue to share with others the core values of compassion, commitment, leadership and volunteerism.

I’m honored to support and be a part of Operation Smile Train, Inc!”

- Sammi Hanratty, Actress

Partners

Dr. Gold O. Amuwha, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
“Thanks and congratulations to us all as this combination of resources will enable us like you said, provide cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to more children than we could have separately. Looking forward to greater achievements for us all.”

Zelma Lazarus, Impact India Foundation, India
“Thank you for your email of February 15, 2011 informing us of the merger of Operation Smile and The Smile Train into a single entity. Impact India is delighted to hear of this exciting news and we warmly congratulate Howard Unger on his appointment as the Chief Operating Officer of Operation Smile Train. As one of your earliest partners in India, Impact India Foundation is very happy at the convergence and is confident that your combined resources will benefit even more children in need of cleft surgeries. We are pleased to inform you that, with your generous support for which we are grateful, we have so far undertaken a total of 6667 Cleft Lip and Palate surgeries through our two projects:

1. The Community Health Initiative in Thane District, Maharashtra, Western India, covering a population of 1.5 million backward tribals. After the conduct of 354 Cleft Lip & Palate surgeries our efforts have ensured in making the area cleft-free, barring new born cases which we continue to treat.
2. The Lifeline Express Hospital train has medically served 6313 Cleft Lip cases in 85 locations across several States of India.

We look forward to your continued support in our efforts to restore smiles to those afflicted with clefts, and once again congratulate the entire team at Operation Smile Train on this new development.”

Dr. Sylvia Noah, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, Kenya
“Wow! This is great!!! Wonderful News!! I cannot wait to see what we will achieve together. It will definitely be more than we could ever do as separate organizations!! Well done to both organizations!!! Fantastic!!”

Dr. Odunayo Oluwatosin, University Hospital, Nigeria
“Congratulations Charles. We, at Ibadan, pledge our support and look forward to more years of co-operation with Operation Smile Train.”

Dr. Peter Olaitan, Onward Specialist Hospital, Nigeria
“It’s great. Keep up the good work”

Ivonete Mari Polidoro Pontalti, Circulo Operario Caxiense, Brazil
“Our service is pleased with this achievement. Certainly your union will bring better outcomes to patients and institutions. Congratulations to all. Hug!”

Dr. Partha Sadhu, Mount Abu, India
“No union can be better than this on a Valentine Day! I whole heartedly welcome the decision and had always believed in it. Keep it up.”

Prof. Paul C. Salins, Multi Specialty Hospital, India
“Thank you for your email. It is indeed great to hear from you. The example of Smile train initiated and nurtured by you and your partners is an inspiration and goal setter for us. We look forward to working with Howard Unger as the head of Operation Smile Train.”

Dr. Long Vanna, National Pediatric Hospital, Cambodia
“Thank you for sharing such exciting news. As Smile Train Partners, we are looking forward to even greater and stronger cooperation with the Operation Smile Train.”