Cleft palate operations help 15 kids BY GILBERT BAYORAN Visayan Daily Star They now have the reason to smile. Fifteen Negrense minors born with harelip and cleft palate conditions recently availed of free surgical operations by the Kiwanis Club of Cebu and Operation Rainbow Australia at the Dr. Ignacio Cortez General Hospital in Mandaue City, Cebu. This was through the efforts of the Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion, that facilitated their inclusion among the beneficiaries. Three organizations and the local government of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, provided them with medicines, billeting areas and meals for the week-long duration of the operations. 1Lt. Sherwin Lagasca, 11th IB Civil Military Operations officer, said that, of the 15 from Negros Oriental, 14 were from Canlaon City, and one from Guihulngan City, all in Negros Oriental. The Mabuhay Foundation, through Mari Remonde of Kiwanis Club, also extended help to the nine of the 15 children from Negros Oriental. Lt. Col. Wilfredo Isaac, 11th IB commander, said “The whole activity was well worth the effort with the thought of giving the patients a new and vibrant smile for their lifetime”.*GPB
Our daughter had cleft lip and cleft palate. She is now 7 years old and has had 5 operations so far, mostly through Operation Smile. We are hoping to sponsor other local kids through the Operation Smile program but so far this year, they have not announced specific locations and dates in the Philippines on their website: "http://www.operationsmile.org/our_work/medical-missions/mission-schedule.html". Even though the program itself is free, many Filipino families cannot afford to get to the Operation Smile locations (usually Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Bacolod) and then pay for accommodations and food. Also, many families are not even aware of these missions.
It is very sad to hear that families can not afford accommodations and food, knowing that the Operation Smile program is free. Maybee this is something for the Rotary Club to seriously get involved in. GOOD LUCK!
