A new smile for children with harelip

Hundreds of children with harelip or cleft palate have now reasons to smile after a 12-member volunteer mission-group from Australia, assisted by the Kiwanis Club of Cebu and the Mandaue City government, conducted surgical procedures to correct their facial deformity.

Starting last Monday, the group already performed free harelip operations to 15 children and youth, aged 1 to 14 years old.

The volunteers were composed of two surgeons, two anesthesiologist-pediatricians, six nurses and two coordinators led by Wilma Dunne, president of the sponsoring foundation, the Operation Rainbow Australia. Ltd. based in Perth, Western Australia.

“We conduct free operation. This is our mission of bringing joy to the patients and their families all over the world,” Dunne said.

Dunne is a retired nurse and an awardee of Australian Queen’s Order of Australian Medal (OAM) for her outstanding achievement in the field of service.

She said 90 patients are scheduled to be operated on during the weeklong activity at the Mandaue City Hospital.

The patients came from Mandaue and other parts of Cebu province and as far as Bohol, Leyte and Dipolog City in Mindanao.

“I thank the group. It’s a dream come true and it makes my life very different,” said Vanessa Boytinguel, 14-year-old first year high school student who hails from Ubay, Bohol.

She and other out-of-town patients were treated first and accommodated in the hospital.

Each of the patients were given free meals and a bag of groceries, school supplies and medicines needed after the surgery.

“We decided to hold the operation in Mandaue, being located in the heart of Cebu and because of the very accommodating mayor,” said Susana Tan, director of Kiwanis Club of Cebu.

According to Florita Cue, vice president of Australia-based Damayang Filipino Inc. who provided the link, there will be more service in Cebu in the future.

Dr. Oscar Quirante, director of Mandaue City hospital, said the free cleft palate or harelip operation should be grabbed immediately, since it would cost patients P50,000, excluding the medicine. /Correspondents Fe Marie D. Dumaboc and Norman Mendoza