“I smile because”, the campaign to provide care to those born with facial malformations

2024-10-21 05:31:00

“I smile because”, the campaign to provide care to those born with <a href="http://www.time.news/oujda-90-children-suffering-from-cleft-lip-and-palate-benefit-from-operation-smile/" title="Oujda: 90 children suffering from cleft lip and palate benefit from Operation Smile“>facial malformations

Every three minutes a child is born in the world with a facial malformation such as cleft lip and palate, a pathology that can affect essential aspects of health and psycho-physical well-being: those affected, in fact, may experience difficulties for example in speaking and eating, in some cases accompanied by isolation and social stigma. The Operation Smile Italia Foundation promotes the “I Smile Because” campaign, to tell the story of the great transformative power of every smile and invite donations to guarantee safe and free medical and surgical care for children and adults born with cleft lip and palate in middle- and low-income countries. .

In countries where public health systems are insufficient – due to the lack of healthcare personnel as well as the lack of capillarity throughout the territory – being born with a facial malformation can condemn those affected to a life of challenges and, sometimes, marginalization. To provide concrete answers to all this, Operation Smile has undertaken the commitment, worldwide, to increase access to care and invest in the quality of surgical infrastructures, with the aim of guaranteeing essential and surgical care by 2032. to 1 million patients.

To do this, Operation Smile relies on a large and widespread network of medical volunteers and healthcare personnel, of which over 100 are Italian: It is thanks to their commitment to medical programs that the Organization has been able to transform the lives of over 415 thousand people with a facial malformation, included in a multidisciplinary treatment path that includes various types of specialists (surgeons, speech therapists, orthodontists and, last but not least , nutritionists and psychologists).

The “I smile because” campaign is also supported by Eleonora Daniele, a well-known face on TV. «I know Operation Smile and I know how much work and commitment there is on the part of the doctors and volunteers who are part of this great Organization – states the presenter – Their desire to give a new smile every day is the energy that moves them. The message I would like to share is that we can all bring about an extraordinary change in the lives of many people by supporting Operation Smile.”

The disease affects on average 1 in 750 newborns worldwide, the need for treatment grows day by day and, to make a difference in the lives of many patients, everyone’s help is needed: hence the appeal of the “I smile because” campaign, for those who believe in the importance of offering a future where the health and dignity of every patient are guaranteed thanks to complete, quality medical and surgical assistance. Everyone can help offer a new reason to smile by donating via the site operationsmile.it/world-smile-day/.

«With the “I smile because” campaign, we want to tell exactly what are the reasons why every day, despite the challenges and difficulties, our patients smile – states Marcella Bianco, General Director of the Operation Smile Italia ETS Foundation – 51% of our patients live below the poverty line and 81% would not have been able to receive treatment without Operation Smile, which with complete and free assistance is helping to improve so many lives. Operation Smile’s commitment looks to the future with confidence: together we can truly transform the lives and destinies of thousands of people, giving care where it is needed and training healthcare personnel in the countries where we operate, so as to support local healthcare systems to create a lasting impact over time and generating concrete change. A possible change, to which everyone can contribute: on our part, the commitment to transform every small donation into hope, health, future and dignity for thousands of people.”