Operation Smile Singapore-Philippines Mission

Dear friends,

Sorry for missing in action for so long. I just got back from the Davao City in the Philippines. I was part of an 11 men team of volunteers representing Operation Smile Singapore to support Operation Smile Philippines in their mission to help poor families in the Philippines with children with clef lips and pallets.

There was a very strong team from Operation Smile Philippines who were there with hearts bigger than themselves. They are kind and compassionate beyond one can imagine. There are professionals like surgeons, nurses, doctors and volunteers who take time out of their very busy schedule and contribute their skills to make a difference in their fellow countryman's lives.

A simple clef lip operation will easily cost an average of about 1 years wage for them. But these kind souls use their skills to change peoples lives. This trip the team operated on 155 patients and successfully change their lives totally. But it does not stop there. There are patients with both clef lips and pallets and they will be scheduled to come back next year for their next operation. There will be follow ups in the next mission with a speech therapist to make sure that they speak well too. So its a whole process that they are covering to make sure that all grounds are covered to ensure that every child is properly taken care of.

I was one of the 6 non-medical vlounteers there. We were there to help a Child Life Specialist by entertaining the children with games and drawings and colouring. To distract them from the anxiety they are facing before heading into the operating room.

It was just a small part compared to the surgeons but I could see the lives change from the playroom where I was in, to the post-operation ward where all the children would rest and recover from the surgery for 1 day. The lives that change because of a 1hr surgery. They now can eat and drink better, communicate better and most of all look better. They will now have more confidence when they grow up. The little kids do not know it now but the parents who are so so so grateful for our help and contribution has everything shown on their faces when they thanked us.

The toys that we brought over were all distributed out to every child. And the complete smile on their faces melted our hearts as we gave out those donated toys. These are the feelings that spurred all the volunteers on in whichever way we were helping.

I wished that I could share photos from the mission but due to copyrights, I can't. This trip reminded me of how blessed I am. I'm looking forward to my next mission trip.

*Changing Lives One Smile At A Time* - Operation Smile Singapore.