Since you were born, your smile unseen
Here you are your full lips, coz keen to smile you’ve always been Oh, yes, young friends, yours are so sweet, and last in our memory they will always Unforgettable smiles given to Thai kids… with love from Amway
Despite technological advancement that contributes to overall well-being of people, smiles of many kids are still given out of the blues as some 2,000 Thai children and youths with cleft lip and palate and other facial deformities are recorded each year.
Cleft lip, cleft palate, and facial deformities are congenital disorder caused by abnormal facial development during gestation. Cleft lip and palate is usually formed in the upper lip or palate, and can continue into the nose, both as partial and complete cleft. Children with these conditions have to live with various physical and mental troubles while their parents are also forced into many difficult situations.
Information from the Ministry of Public Health reveals that some 2,000 babies in Thailand are born with cleft lift and palate each year. The prevalence of these deformities are not specific to any particular region, but can be found most often in the Northeast, which is the region with the world’s highest rate of 1 patients per 500 newly-born children per year.
Amway for Thai Society Foundation and Amway Business Owners (ABOs) are well aware of the life quality of Thai children and are concerned about the worsening situation of these conditions. They have therefore joined forces with Yasothon Hospital and Operation Smile Thailand to help correct cleft lip and palate and other facial deformities in the 12th mission under ‘One by One: Operation Smile’ project. Held on September 14-18, 2009 at Yasothon Hospital, the mission was hailed a success this year, providing surgical treatment to a total of 133 children with cleft lips and cleft palates in Yasothon and nearby provinces.
Mr. Sak Thanaprakob, Vice President of Amway for Thai Society Foundation, said: “We have been supporting the ‘One by One: Operation Smile’ project since 1997 to give children with cleft lift and palate and other facial deformities an opportunity to have a brighter smile. Including the latest mission this year, the project has so far given surgical treatment to 1,475 children in altogether 12 missions in six provinces, divided into five in Yasothon, two in Nakhon Srithammarat, two in Surin, and one each in Lampang, Yala, and Tak. What is special about the mission this year is that Amway for Thai Society Foundation has donated 1.5 million baht, and has also recruited a strong batch of volunteers among ABOs, Amway staff to help complete this mission.”
Dr. Apichai Angspatt, chief volunteer physician of Operation Smile Thailand, explained about cleft lip and palate: “There is still no definite conclusion as to what the determinants of cleft lip and palate are, but it can be assumed from available information that the deformities are caused by elemental composition of the body, for example genetic codes, medication, and malnutrition. As a preventive measure, parents who plan to have a child should take good care of their health and ensure good nutrition, especially during the first three months of pregnancy, which is crucial for fetal development and is the time when the lobes of the embryo's mouth, nose, and palate take shape. Special care and protection of the fetus are therefore necessary during this period of pregnancy, or the unborn baby falls at risk of developing cleft lip and palate.”
“In children born with cleft lip and palate, the deformity is treatable by means of surgery. To maximize results of a surgical treatment, however, preparation is needed to make sure the patient is healthy and physically ready for an operation. Parents are also responsible for comprehensive post-surgery care of their kid. Nevertheless, the technology in surgery to repair cleft lip and palate has developed a great deal and much improved results can be expected, thanks to advanced medical equipment and tools, scientific and technological progress, and expertise of surgeons.”
Joy of a mother whose child would be treated
Ms. Kalayanee Somrak, mother of 4-month-old Waranya Somrak, said: “It is so delightful to learn that Amway for Thai Society Foundation has set a mission to help repair cleft lip and palate and facial deformities in Yasothon because my child and other patients will be treated and given care by a team of specialized physicians, all at no cost. We hope to see more constructive projects like this, and we wish the mission could visit Yasothon often because there are many cleft lip and palate patients in this area.”
Natthida Chaiwate, a girl with cleft lip and palate, said: “I’m truly glad that I will be given a surgical treatment by Amway for Thai Society Foundation to correct my cleft lift and palate because this gives me the chance to be just like other kids. I would like to ask key people of this project to organize this great activity every year.”
With full treatment and care, normally sociable life of children with cleft lip and palate can be reconstructed. The life of untreated kids may, on the other hand, be negatively affected by the condition both physically and mentally. Complete treatment is therefore necessary, and the kids’ dream has today turned into reality with the collaborative effort of many relevant parties, including Amway for Thai Society Foundation, Yasothon Hospital and Operation Smile Thailand.
What we can see in front of us today is the new smiles of 133 kids. The scene of the children with sweet smile is meaningful not only to the kids themselves, but it also brightens the world and will leave a lasting impression in the heart of the givers.
For more information, please contact Verve:
Woraya Maneewan (Petch) Tel: 0-2204-8229
Pornchanan Mongkolkul (Gift) Tel: 0-2204-8223, 08-1755-1105