We Build Hope: Celebrating Scars as Symbols of Resilience and Strength

Perched next to a mirror on a table filled with makeup tools and brushes is a photo of a baby with a cleft condition. The photo is of Palisha when she was less than 1 year old, and it’s a reminder of how far she has come — from a patient in need of surgical care to a confident young woman who has found her voice as a beauty influencer. Brushing her hair as she prepares to make a new video, a small scar is visible on her upper lip. Rather than seeing it as something to hide or cover up, she displays it proudly. 

Palisha is one of the patients featured in Operation Smile’s new campaign, We Build Hope, along with 5-year-old Junior Jeremias, 18-year-old Narya and more. The short video series spotlights stories that celebrate scars and what they symbolize: access to safe surgery. They aren’t signs of something that has gone wrong, but something that has gone right.  

More than two thirds of the world’s population live in a place where they don’t have access to safe surgical care. Operation Smile believes safe surgery is a basic human right, and bringing care closer to home is what its Operation 100 is all about. It’s a bold commitment to bring care closer to the communities the organization serves, and it starts by equipping 100 cleft operative teams with advanced skills, essential equipment and enhanced infrastructure across 100 hospitals. 

For too long, patients have been forced to travel for days, exhausting their resources, just to reach surgical care — only to be turned away,” says Kathy Magee, president and CEO of Operation Smile. “Operation 100 is about building hope.”  

As a locally led and globally supported organization working in 37 countries, Operation Smile partners with local health systems, governments, universities, NGOs and health care providers to expand access to safe surgery and comprehensive care. Through Operation 100, we’re bringing that care closer to 100 communities that need it most, and 100 is just the beginning.  

Discover how you can help build hope.