\As some of you may know, in a few short weeks (October 3) I will be leaving for Harare, Zimbabwe for approximately 2 1/2 weeks to assist with pediatric cleft lip/palate and facial reconstruction surgeries. I am very excited, but also very nervous!! I am going to share in a following (protected) post some of the more personal details of my trip---but I wanted to share a little bit about the organization that I am going with!
Meet George
Baby George is one of the 45 proud children Operation of Hope recently helped in our first ever trip to Zimbabwe, Africa.
With plans to return next October targeting 80+ new children, George is the picture perfect example of a beautiful baby and how your $250 dollars can change the path of a child forever. George and his family traveled over 6 hours by bus with the deep hope they could correct their childs condition which the mother incorrectly believed was a result of the child sucking his thumb in the mothers womb.
With a total income of $10 dollars a month, George’s family knew they could never afford the surgery needed for their child. After connecting with Operation of Hope and their visit to Africa, George and his family left knowing all efforts were truly a blessing.
And here's George 3 days after surgery!
Another child that has become very special to Operation of Hope is Beloved.
Beloved was in a horrible accident at the age of 10. After the recent war in Zimbabwe, Beloved was playing in a field and accidentally encountered a land-mine which sadly destroyed the lower portion of his face and mouth. At the time, the local doctors tried to help him but as you can see, despite their efforts, results fell far short. In a futile attempt, local doctors even used a portion of his stomach muscles to reconstruct his lips.
Fortunately, a team of surgeons at UCLA have agreed to volunteer their time and talent to help Beloved. He will be spending a year in Southern California living with the Director of Operation of Hope (who was recently voted one of Oprah's "60 Most Influential Women"--and got to spend a weekend with her!) During this year he will be undergoing several major operations to correct his face--including a live tissue transplant. Imagine being in a country so far from your own, without your family and having to deal with this? I cannot imagine. We will be bringing Beloved home with us when we return on October 22 and he will hopefully be undergoing his first surgery some time during the first few days after arriving in the U.S.
I will keep you all updated with more upcoming details!
