They travel from all over Cambodia in the hope that first world medical miracles can change a life and bring a smile to children’s faces.

Visiting one of the medical missions it is hard not to be stunned. First the location, the Khmer-Soviet Friendship hospital; it’s not exactly a five-star health centre. Second, the kids, It is said that cleft lips and palates occur in 1/500-1/750 births worldwide. Yet when one of these kids smiles, you see past the cleft lip or palate and into to their hearts. It is hard not to be moved. Third, the families. In some cases they make long and arduous journeys from all over Cambodia. Leaving everything they had ever known to go to the big city, families sleep in hallways, up to 15 of them sleeping in a small room. Hammocks are slung between beds and halls as parents watch over their children in the hope they would be given a chance at a better life.

The logistical, organisation and support behind Operation Smile is impressive: international and Cambodian medical, support staff and volunteers all working together to help these children. Operation Smile was founded by Dr William and Kathleen Magee in 1982 with a mission of medical volunteers to the Philippines. Since that time, more than 115,000 children have been treated and Operation Smile now supports medical missions in more than 26 countries. Its first mission in Cambodia took place in 2002 in Phnom Penh and a year later Operation Smile Cambodia (OSC) was formed. To date, about 1,000 children have received corrective surgery in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang.

Last March the mission was held in Phnom Penh, where more than 200 patients were screened and approximately 130 treated over five days. This was only possible with the assistance of 49 international medical volunteers from nine countries, 29 Cambodian medical volunteers, international and local support volunteers, OSC staff, directors and donors, support from Operation Smile worldwide and the Cambodian families who trusted OSC with their children. OSC is beautiful in its simplicity and focus. It brings together local and international resources to provide a straightforward procedure that changes a child’s life. From a medical perspective, people with cleft lips and palates often have difficulty eating, talking, hearing and breathing. From a social perspective, repairing a cleft can lead to greater acceptance and confidence.

If you want to learn more about Operation Smile, its website is www.operationsmile.org.

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide (July 08)