Scenes from Guatemala 

In the northernmost region of Guatemala lies Petén — a place known for its natural beauty and rich history, but where access to surgical care remains out of reach for many families. 

That’s why, since 2022, Operation Smile has been building a lasting presence here, working hand-in-hand with local health teams, volunteers and community partners. From February 5–11, we worked at San Benito Regional Hospital, furthering our commitment to bring essential surgical and health care closer to home. 

Together with our dedicated volunteers and local staff, we provided cleft surgeries and comprehensive care to children from Petén and surrounding communities. By the end of the week, Petén saw 47 new smiles, a testament to the life-changing impact of this ongoing partnership. 

San Benito Regional Hospital remains a key partner in helping us expand access to care in this region — playing an important role in creating sustainable solutions alongside our teams. 

But our work goes beyond surgeries. Every surgical program is also a training opportunity, and this program was no different. By offering hands-on learning, mentorship and long-term support in specialties like surgery, anesthesiology, pediatrics, nursing and other areas of health care, we’re helping strengthen the region’s ability to care for its own communities — now and for the future. 

Samuel is a 6-month-old baby who stole everyone’s heart with his smile. He received his cleft lip repair surgery and came out of the operating room calmly in his mother’s arms. 

Samuel’s family traveled from Izabal for this surgical program, which is a more than six-hour-long trip. His mother accompanied him every step of the way. 

His mother has been attending consultations with Operation Smile Guatemala in Guatemala City ever since they left the hospital after Samuel was born. But, since this program wasn’t that far away from her house, she decided to travel to Petén so her baby could receive the life-changing surgery sooner. 

Health care volunteers provide a comprehensive health screening for all patients during the surgical program in Petén. Patients must be a minimum weight for their age and free from infections in order to receive anesthesia and surgery. Here, a volunteer asks Alison’s mother a few questions during screening.

Alison was born with a cleft in a very remote area of Petén. She first came to Operation Smile last year right before our surgical program, but unfortunately, she had a fever and couldn’t undergo surgery safely. 

Even though she lives in the same region, traveling to San Andrés is very difficult for her family. However, they have stayed in constant communication with our patient coordinator, and every time they managed to come, she received nutritional, pediatric and dental follow-ups. 

When they heard about this surgical program, her family was determined to make the trip from the very beginning. Our medical team agreed that she was finally ready for the surgery they had been waiting for so long. 

Melida, from Livingston, Izabal, arrived at Operation Smile Guatemala thanks to a partnership between our patient recruitment coordinator and the municipality of Livingston. 

Melida’s mother does not speak Spanish, and their journey to receive care was long and challenging. Guatemala is home to 25 different languages, with Spanish being the official language. For many families, especially those from indigenous communities, language can be a significant barrier to accessing care. In Melida’s case, the language barrier made it even harder to navigate the health care system, but our team worked to ensure she felt understood and supported. They had to travel two hours on foot and four more hours by car to reach Livingston, where they joined the rest of the group. From there, they traveled another six hours together to San Andrés, Petén. Despite these difficulties, Melida’s mother placed her trust in our work and entered the surgical program that would change her daughter’s life. 

The transformation was remarkable. Melida’s mother went from being reserved to wearing a constant smile.  

Operation Smile Guatemala welcomed some familiar faces as well during this surgical program. Dayana has been in contact with Operation Smile Guatemala for years, having received surgery in 2022 at the age of 11.  

“This has changed my daughter’s life,” Eluvia, Dayana’s mother, shared the last time Operation Smile Guatemala caught up with the family. “She hangs out with her friends; she goes to church. She’s proud of the way she looks.” 

See Dayana’s full story. 

Short-term programs are only one of the ways we transform the lives of our patients and strengthen communities, with training and education playing a key role in equipping local health care professionals for long-term impact. Learn more about our work.