Operation Smile is a charity founded by William and Kathleen Magee to provide cleft lip and palate surgeries to those without access to medical care. It has sent medical missions to numerous countries and partnered with local surgeons to teach them how to repair facial deformities. The charity estimates a total cost of $750 per child, including aftercare, educational programs, and the need to continue raising funds. Since its inception, Operation Smile has successfully performed reconstructive facial surgery on over 100,000 children.
Operation Smile is a charity founded by plastic surgeon William Magee and his wife, a nurse/social worker, Kathleen Magee. On a volunteer mission to the Philippines in 1982, the couple worked to help repair the cleft lip and palate of those without access to medical care. The need for these repairs far exceeded what the mission could handle. In response to this need, the Magee’s formed Operation Smile to raise funds and create more missions in countries where access to facial deformity repair was limited or non-existent.
Since 1982, Operation Smile has sent medical missions to numerous countries. It has also partnered with countries to teach local surgeons how to repair and care for those with cleft palate and cleft lip. Approximately 10,000 children and young adults undergo surgery to repair facial defects each year thanks to the worldwide efforts of Operation Smile.
While Operation Smile’s base remains in Virginia, there are several global chapters of the organization that help raise funds and organize missions. These include chapters in Los Angeles, London, Rome, Hong Kong and New York City. It is actually quite surprising how cheap it is in many impoverished countries to repair crack defects. It usually costs around 240 US dollars (USD) per surgery. This amount seems extremely low compared to a similar repair in most western countries. In total, including aftercare, educational programs, and the need to continue raising funds, Operation Smile estimates a total cost of $750 per child.
In some cases, Operation Smile flies children to the United States for surgery. Sometimes the defects are too complex to be repaired locally. When this is the case, Operation Smile will finance the transportation of the child and usually a parent, and will pay for not only the necessary surgeries, but also accommodation and food for the family member. This results in a higher expense, as not all hospital costs can be fully donated. Typically, children or adults who come to the United States are required to receive special sponsorships and extra donations.
In contrast, Operation Smile’s field missions have the volunteer services of qualified doctors and others in the medical field. A large number of cases can be treated quickly within days or weeks. This is generally the most cost-effective way for Operation Smile to help large numbers of people. Yet doctors often leave a mission knowing they can’t help everyone. This keeps people dedicated to the cause of raising more funds to undertake more missions.
Since its inception, Operation Smile estimates that it has successfully performed reconstructive facial surgery on over 100,000 children. Approximately 86% of the funds raised go directly to these surgeries and to fund medical missions. Operation Smile has also been honored with several major humanitarian awards. The charity has proven successful, with positive results and continued goals in helping improve the lives of many children and young adults in developing countries.
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