As World Smile Day approaches, October 4, Operation Smile is gearing up for multiple medical missions that will take place around the world.
“We’ll have medical missions in Guatemala, Brazil, Malawi and Morocco on World Smile Day. We expect to perform hundreds of free surgeries on children born with a cleft condition - which will not only put smiles on their faces, but change their lives for the better,” said Joey Feduniewicz, Senior Director of International Programs at Operation Smile.
People born with a cleft condition can experience problems when it comes to eating, speaking, hearing and smiling. For cleft conditions, a surgery taking as little as 45 minutes can improve a patient’s ability to eat and speak, as well as prevent recurring severe respiratory and ear infections.
“Operation Smile has a footprint across the globe and the reality is we’re doing surgeries just about every day in some part of the world. Performing these surgeries on World Smile Day makes it even more special,” Feduniewicz added.
This year is the 20th Anniversary of World Smile Day, which is celebrated on the first Friday in the month of October every year. The goal is to inspire the world to dedicate one day each year to smiling and performing kind acts.
Digitally, Operation Smile is asking its audience to share what makes them smile using #WorldSmileDay. Participants can tag @operationsmile for a chance to be featured on our social channels. They can also do an act of kindness that makes someone smile. Share it with @operationsmile and include #20for20 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of #WorldSmileDay. Tag up to 20 friends and encourage them to help at least one person smile too! Video demonstrating campaign activations: https://youtu.be/uGPb17z6g_Q
About Operation Smile: Operation Smile has provided hundreds of thousands of safe surgeries for those born with a cleft lip and or cleft palate. With more than three decades of expertise, Operation Smile creates solutions that deliver free surgery to people where it’s needed most. As one of the largest medical volunteer-based nonprofits, Operation Smile has mobilized thousands of medical volunteers from a wide range of medical specialties from more than 80 countries. Operation Smile engages public-private partnerships to advance health care delivery, train local medical professionals to provide surgical care for patients in their communities, donate crucial medical equipment and supplies, and increase access to surgical care so that everyone living with cleft is treated. Visit www.operationsmile.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
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