Operation Smile believes that all children born with cleft lip or cleft palate deserve access to safe surgery. To this end, they arrange hundreds of medical missions around the world completed entirely by volunteers. Volunteers come from over 80 countries, and missions take place in over 60 countries, including the US.
Sometimes medical missions involve transporting doctors and other healthcare experts as well as the necessary medical equipment to remote places in order to perform surgery. Each assignment incorporates local health providers in the process so that the patients can feel comfortable with the care they receive. Resident providers aid with both language and cultural barriers. For more information on Operation Smile, visit www.operationsmile.org.