In Honor of Mother’s Day: 5 Women Who Inspire Us Through Hope and Determination

For many mothers in our global communities, the road to care can be long and difficult. Often their journeys are filled with uncertainty, arduous trips, difficult decisions and sacrifices. But we meet mothers everyday who remain hopeful and determined to overcome these barriers. Through Operation Smile, a mother’s hope becomes tangible — in the form of compassionate care, safe surgery and the promise of a future full of possibilities.

The five remarkable women in these stories know the transformative change that happens when people come together — family members, doctors, nurses, specialists and even entertaining clowns— to help provide their children with the best futures possible.

Operation Smile is committed to making health care accessible to more mothers and their children, by bringing care closer to home By training local health care providers and investing in local infrastructure, we’re helping to equip more teams that can provide comprehensive cleft care around the world, so we can reach more families.

This Mother’s Day, we are proud to celebrate mothers like Thiếp, Nancy, Carla, Angeline and Hessy.

Thiếp, Mother of Tú

“When I was pregnant with Tú, I went for an ultrasound, and the doctor said [the baby] had cleft lip,” explains Thiếp, a 38-year-old mother who lives in the mountains of Khuôn Hà in Vietnam with her husband, Thiện, and their other children. Now, two years later, Tú is thriving thanks to care he was able to receive from Operation Smile at the Vietnam Cuba Hospital in Hanoi.

Though taking a six-hour journey by bus, away from the rest of her family, was not easy, Thiếp was grateful for the opportunity to improve Tú’s life with surgery and quality health care. “My hope is that Tú will live a healthy life after the surgery,” she said before the procedure, “that his lips will be healed and our family can be more at peace. “

After the operation, she beams with gratitude. “When Tú returns from surgery, his brothers will be very happy to see him finished surgery,” she says.

Watch Tú’s story.

Nancy, Samuel’s Mother

For any mother, saying goodbye to your baby as he enters a hospital operating room would be emotional. But for 22-year-old Nancy, giving her 6-month-old son, Samuel, who was born with a cleft condition, to an Operation Smile volunteer nurse as he heads into surgery was filled with optimism. “I am happy because he is going to have a new smile from the surgery they are going to perform,” she says.

Nancy and Samuel traveled seven hours to access care at the Petén Regional Hospital, an Operation Smile partner hospital in Guatemala. At every step of the process, from a pre-surgery health screening to meeting with an anesthesiologist who explained how Samuel would be prepped for the procedure, Nancy felt compassion and reassurance from the whole health care team.

For the determined mother, the hours of waiting for Samuel’s surgery to be completed didn’t faze her in the slightest. “I didn’t even feel the hours go by, and then they called me back. They handed him to me,” she says, her own smile beaming across her face. “I didn’t even recognize him. He looked different — more beautiful. I thank the Operation Smile for giving my son a new smile.”

Learn more about Nancy and Samuel’s story.

Carla, Ihan’s Mother

Life has not been easy for Carla, who immigrated from Venezuela to Colombia five years ago as a teenager. Things became even more difficult when she became pregnant and learned through an ultrasound that her baby had a cleft lip and palate. “I didn’t know what that was, and everything felt so heavy then.”

Fortunately, Carla was able to visit a hospital in Riohacha in La Guajira, Colombia so Ihan could receive a comprehensive health screening. As soon as they sat down in the waiting room, they were greeted by four clowns with red noses, juggling balls and hula hoops. These are Clowns Without Borders, working in collaboration with Operation Smile and with support from the Postcode Lottery in Sweden. Their mission is to use play and laughter to help children and parents relax in the stressful situation that a hospital visit can be.

Soon, Carla and her son met a large team of volunteers and began preparations for the medical examinations needed before surgery. Among them were anesthesiologists, nurses, plastic surgeons, dentists and play therapists.

Ihan received surgery the next day. When the operation was complete, a nurse carried him into the recovery room, where Carla was allowed to join him as he woke up. When Carla saw him, she breaks into tears — this time, out of joy.

“My darling, my son,” she said to him, gently caressing his cheek. “You are so beautiful; now, it’s over. I’m here with you; you can wake up now. Thank God! You are so beautiful, my child.”

Read Carla and Ihan’s full story.

Angeline, Leana’s Mother

Angeline first learned about Operation Smile’s transformational care when her daughter was only 6 months old. Determined to get her child help, Angeline brought Leana to a surgical programs four times over several years. But with each visit, they had to go home without surgery due to infections or malnourishment. Leana was enrolled in our nutrition program, to ensure she was a healthy weight to receive safe surgery.

At her fifth surgical program, Leana sat quietly in her mother’s lap as they received the news: Leana was finally healthy enough for surgery. Hours later, in the recovery room, Angeline stroked her daughter’s cheek gently. Tears of relief glistened in her eyes. The long wait was over.

Now back in her village, Leana beams with confidence, surrounded by children who had previously shunned her.

“Leana’s life has completely changed,” says Angeline. “The children who once avoided her now come to play with her. Her surgery has brought us joy and happiness.”

See Angeline and Leana’s story.

Hessy, Angely’s Mother

Every mom-to-be worries about having a safe delivery while bringing a healthy baby into the world. But for Hessy, who was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and hypothyroidism during her pregnancy, she knew her baby would need special care not only during her birth, but afterwards as well: Her baby had been diagnosed with a cleft condition before she was born.

An emergency c-section at a hospital near her home in Honduras helped Angely come into the world safely. But surgery would be needed to treat her cleft condition. Hessy made sure her daughter got the care she needed by bringing her to an Operation Smile partner hospital. There, Angely received comprehensive care, including nutrition, speech therapy and oral care, while Hessy was able to receive the psychosocial counseling and social work she needed.

A year after Angely’s birth, the life changing surgery was possible. Today, Hessy and her husband, Ariel, joyfully reflect on Angely’s journey, having received her second surgery at the same partner hospital to continue treating her cleft condition. “Operation Smile gave me the chance to meet my daughter twice — this time, with a brand-new smile.”

See Hessy and Angely’s full story in one of our most recent blog posts.