beauty at work- operation smile

A smile. It's something we do everyday. It's a simple movement that can convey so much. It's also something that can easily be taken for granted. You might be wondering how a smile could ever be taken for granted, but for many children born with a cleft- every three minutes a child is born with one- it can mean a life without so much more than simple smile.

Antonia, before and after source

"The surgery has made a huge difference in my life. If I hadn´t received surgery, I don't think I would go out of my home, I'd be ashamed. Now I go everywhere! At school people don´t make fun of me anymore. Today everybody is my friend."

Ngan, before and after source

"Many poor families in our province will abandon their child if a baby is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate," Ngan's father said. He never wants this to happen, knowing how miraculous the transformation is with a free surgery through Operation Smile.

Of the children born with a cleft, one in ten will die before their first birthdays. The children who survive are often left unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places, they are shunned or rejected or in cases where their parents are unable to afford necessary surgeries, are unable to lead productive lives.

In 1982, what would become the largest volunteer-based medical charity providing free cleft surgeries was founded with the belief that every child deserves access to safe, quality surgical care. Every child deserves a future filled with hope. Through the help of their dedicated medical volunteers Operation Smile has provided over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with facial deformities in addition to training doctors in developing countries and strengthening healthcare systems so more children in some of the poorest areas in the world can be treated.

This post was sponsored by Campus Book Rentals. Campus Book Rentals is a text book rental service that allows you to rent text books for a fraction of the cost of buying. They also have a rent back program, which allows you to retain ownership of your books while renting them to other students. They also make a donation to Operation Smile with each book rented. Amazing right?!

To find out more about Operation Smile, or see what you can do visit OperationSmile.org