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Cleft Lip/Palate Outreach

We operated on 40 children. It was so wonderful to see so many transformed lives, from deformities to “magunda” ( beautiful)
The Operation Smile team were amazing, they worked from 6am until past midnight doing surgery after surgery, what a great team!

The government were also so willing to help us providing meals and accommodation for the team.

The atmosphere at an outreach like this is so fun, 40 kids all having ‘nil by mouth’  crying and confused as to why their Mum won’t feed them, excited parents so happy and grateful their child is being given a chance, anxious mothers worrying about their child being operated on, will they survive! the fathers gathering together laughing and having fun, also anxious but trying not to show it. Beautiful Filipino nurses helping with the administration of it all, cooks trying to feed everyone, staff trying to find a bed for 40 patients when there are only 15 beds!
The Ruel staff being swamped with so many questions from the parents, trying to register everyone and take photos amongst the chaos. Comforting parents and children and reassuring them their child will be operated on even though we have so many waiting then the after operation anxieties , discomfort and worry about having enough transport money to get back for a check up.

Then suddenly it is all over, the kids are sent home and we ponder on the achievement, on the amount of wonderful people that made it possible, Ruel team, Operation Smile, government, nurse and the donors. We are so grateful for all the donors what wonderful kind people!

We still have plenty more kids requiring this type of operation so we are already making plans for the next one!

Cleft Lip/Palate Outreach

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