We are less than a month away from our first outreach program of 2023 to Ecuador!
In 2022, we expanded our Ecuador programs to two weeks in an effort to care for the number of patients waiting for care. Global Smile Foundation (GSF) has become the largest provider of cleft care in the country and maintains a year-round cleft center managed by our Global Smile Foundation-Ecuador team.
Your support makes healthy lives possible for our patients and their families! Untreated cleft increased a child's risk of malnutrition, poor health, and social isolation. Due to discrimination against their child or their child's health, many parents keep their children at home and are unable to work. When our patients receive care, they are better able to thrive and their families can gain financial stability and integrate into their communities.
We are truly grateful for your contributions. Thank you.
Saray's Story
When Saray born with cleft lip and palate in July 2021, her parents were shocked by her cleft. In underserved areas, prenatal care is limited and many parents only learn that their babies have cleft after they are born.
In addition, Saray had trouble feeding properly, like many infants born with cleft, and her parents were worried about how to help their daughter. Having a cleft lip and palate prevents an infant from creating the suction necessary for bottles or breastfeeding.
Luckily, Saray's parents found information about cleft online and learned about GSF through the Prefectura (local government) in Guayaquil. In September 2022, Saray underwent surgery to repair her cleft lip. She is scheduled to return in 2023 for a cleft palate surgery.
Saray's mother said that she is grateful to all of the volunteers for helping her daughter, and hopes she will one day be a volunteer to help other patients and families.
In September, we held our second medical mission of the year in Ecuador. Your support made comprehensive cleft care possible, including:
We will return to Ecuador in March and September 2023. Stay tuned for our new project in support of those medical missions.
Our final trip in 2022 will be to Beirut, Lebanon. You can see that project here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/fund-children-with-cleft/
We are celebrating our 35th year of humanitarian cleft care services! You can join us at our Gala Dinner in person or virtually to see the impact you have supported. Information here: GSF GALA
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In March, our GSF and GSF-Ecuador teams spent two weeks providing comprehensive cleft care for underserved children. More than 70 volunteers gave their time and energy to make healthy smiles possible for our patients.
With your support, we were able to provided life-changing care, including:
-138 Patient screenings
-270 PCRs (patients, guardians, & team members)
-151 Surgical procedures for 64 patients
-274 Dental procedures
-149 Psychosocial interventions
-32 Nutrition consults
-18 Speech therapy sessions
This year marks the 35th anniversary of our first mission in the country. Many of our founding members are still involved with GSF and continue to change the lives of others.
We look forward to the September 2022 mission and are already well into our preparations. We are grateful for your contributions and hope you will join our newsletter or visit our social media to see patient updates and news.
Thank you for supporting our September 2021 outreach cleft program in Ecuador.
We were thrilled to see David Josue (pictured) and how much he has grown since we first met him 3 years ago. Due to the severity of his cleft, David Josue needed a complex surgery that many NGOs are unable to provide. GSF has pioneered a procedure for patients like him called a Premaxillary Setback that combines four procedures into one to realign the upper jaw bone, repair the lip, and reconstruct the nose.
There were so many healthy smiles in September! Our amazing volunteers turned your donations into action on the ground for our patients, including:
You helped save the lives of children who would have otherwise suffered the burdens of untreated cleft. We are truly grateful for your contributions.
We will be back in Ecuador March 7-20, 2022 for two weeks with a team of 70 international volunteers. We will share this project with you as soon as possible!
Links:
With your contribution, Global Smile Foundation (GSF) was able to complete a successful two-week program in Guayaquil, Ecuador in September 2021. Our team worked with in-country partner, Fundacion Global Smile-Ecuador, to provide free comprehensive cleft care to underserved patients born with cleft lip and/or palate.
During the program, our teams conducted:
When international travel resumed, GSF implemented extensive COVID-19 testing and precautions to maximize the safety of our patients, guardians, and team members. These precautions enabled us to complete the September mission without infection.
Our next mission is scheduled for March 2022. Due to the global pandemic, many of our patients have been waiting for care for 18 months or more. We will continue to share news and updates with you.
Healthy smiles are essential for healthy lives and we appreciate your support.
Thank you!
Links:
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