Operation Smile Rwanda

This week I signed up to volunteer with Operation Smile, Op Smile is an American NGO out of Norfolk, VA (check 'em out operationsmile.org). It’s a volunteer organization where surgeons, anesthesiologist, dentists, nurses, camera crew, photographers, local interpreters and support staff as well as many other specialized nurses volunteer their time for 10 days to go on a mission in developing countries to treat patients with Cleft pellets.
This was Op Smile’s first mission to Rwanda and they’re already scheduled to be back again next year. The first two days of the mission were spent conducting screening interviews. Many patients lined the waiting area of the University Teaching Hospital where the mission was to work out of. Many Rwandan volunteers helped conducting the screening interviews that were part of the patient chart. The patients then went through different rooms for vitals check-up, surgical team assessment, anesthesia assessment, blood work, dental assessment, speech therapy.
I was lucky to volunteer with Op smile and be part of this amazing team. It’s incredible how many patients lined up in the waiting area waiting for the opportunity to be selected for this surgery that would forever change their lives!! The first day there were over 500 people with their families and friends waiting. The first day we limited the screening to 264 patients. The next day we screened another 169.
I must say that I was really touched by the experience and looking at the faces of mothers holding their infant children with hope for a new outlook on life for their children was incredible. I volunteered during the first two days of screening. My assignment was to take pictures of all patients going through the screening process to be including in their charts. I then came back three days later to see some of the same patients who received surgeries already. Comparing the before and after was amazing. The team of volunteer surgeons, dentists and nursing staff did an amazing job with these patients. And comparing the before and after shots side by side reveals the amazing outcomes.
It’s an amazing thing to know that the lucky patients who had their cleft lips fixed will now have a better chance of integrating into their society, be able to go to school without being laughed at, having girl/boyfriends, and not be scared to be in public or interact with others. I would definitely sign up in the future to volunteer with Op Smile and would even consider being part of their team. The work they do brings many smiles to many unfortunate people all around the world.