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NAKURU, Kenya -- More than 200,000 children are born with a severe cleft condition each year. Often they are unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile.
The charity Operation Smile has spent years healing children's smiles and transforming lives across the globe. As it celebrates 25 years in Utah, volunteers from Utah are helping children with cleft lips and cleft palates in Nakuru, Kenya, this week.
Utah doctors, nurses and other Operation Smile volunteers work closely with a group of Kenyan doctors and nurses to put up posters and spread the word about pre-screenings, which began last week.
The first two days of the 10-day mission were spent screening about 150 children who showed up for help. Children met with a pediatrician who determined if they are old enough, weigh enough, and are healthy enough to withstand the surgery. Then they met with plastic surgeons.
Surgeries were to begin Monday and continue through the end of the week. An additional 50 children showed up for screening Monday, so volunteers say they may end up operating on about 180 kids total.
For the children, cleft palate or cleft lip is not just a cosmetic condition. They struggle with eating, speaking and social acceptance. Many community members see facial deformity as a curse and shun the children.
One 20-year-old man who arrived for screening Sunday traveled four days to get there. Due to his cleft palate, he had been shunned and not allowed to go to school.
Volunteers say the surgery, which typically can be performed in 30 minutes and costs about $240, transforms the patients' lives.
E-mail:bwalker@ksl.com
