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

ROMA – The Operation Smile Italia Foundation promotes the Campaign “I smile because”to talk about the great transformative power of every smile and invite donations to ensure safe and free medical and surgical care for children and adults born with cleft lip and palate in middle- and low-income countries. 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 concrete answers. 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 give 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 for 1 million patients by 2032.

The widespread network of volunteers. To do this, Operation Smile It counts 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 testimonial. The Campaign “I smile because” 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 statistics of the pathology. The disease affects on average 1 newborn in every 7,502 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” campaignfor those who believe in the importance of offering a future where the health and dignity of every patient are guaranteed thanks to complete and quality medical and surgical assistance. Everyone can help offer a new reason to smile by donating via site.