Mission 2023: kalibo, Philippines

In just one week, our team of volunteer nurses and doctors screened 75 patients and successfully completed 72 procedures, giving children new smiles: 29 cleft lips, 38 cleft palates, 2 rhinoplasty, 1 frenulectomy, 2 keloid excisions.

Our youngest patient was just 6 months-old, and our oldest was 20 years-old. We brought new smiles to 36 boys and 31 girls!

Thank you for all of your support and thank you to all of our medical mission volunteers!


Mission 2020: kalibo, Philippines

We visited one elementary school and 1,000 children were provided with dental education, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and an oral hygiene pamphlet; school scholarships were provided to 6 of our patients through our Education Fund; most of our patients worked with a speech therapist and took home a kit to practice correct speech sounds at home; and many received much-needed dental care. Upon discharge, each patient received a care sheet and a backpack of items including clothes, toys, and a toothbrush/toothpaste. Although we worked with mostly young children, our oldest patient was 48!

Despite the challenges of a typhoon and a volcano eruption in the weeks prior to our mission, and the news of coronavirus, our FEARLESS volunteers made the long journey to provide new smiles and hope to 63 patients. 63! When you take a moment to think of how many lives are forever changed, you can't help but feel emotional.

Thanks to countless volunteers (both local and from all over the world) and to our partners: Rotary Club Of Kalibo, Rotary Club of Summit County and Broomfield Rotary.


Mission 2019: Jan. 27- Feb. 1: Lucena, Philippines

70 patients, 76 procedures: 35 cleft lips, 38 cleft palates, 3 hand surgeries.

Over half of the cleft lip patients were 1 years-old or younger.

Two operating rooms: 5 operating tables. (Surgeons and nurses worked from 7:30am to 8pm.)

Oldest patient was 22 years old, youngest was 6 months old.

This was our third year in Lucena which allowed us to see 15 of our patients from our 2017 and 2018 medical missions: They had their lips repaired last year and their palates repaired this year.

Most patients worked with one of our speech therapists and took home a special kit to practice correct speech sounds at home.

Upon discharge, each patient received a care sheet and a backpack of items including clothes, toys, toothbrush/toothpaste and more.

Dental Treatment resulted in 81 exams and the removal of 6 teeth, which had potential to complicate the planned surgeries.

We visited one elementary school and 1,300 children were provided with dental education, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and an oral hygiene pamphlet.

8 students were sponsored to attend school through our Education Fund.


MISSION 2018: LUCENA, PHILIPPINES

73 patients, 33 lips, 34 palates, 4 combo lip/palates, 8 hand/burns.

2 operating rooms in use, with 5 operating tables

Our oldest patient was 17 years old, and our youngest was just 5 months old.

4 of the patients were returning: They had their lips repaired last year and their palates repaired this year.

Most patients worked with one of our speech therapists.

Upon discharge from the hospital, each patient received a care sheet and a backpack of items including clothes, a calculator, a ball, pillow, stuffed toy, toy car, toothbrush/toothpaste and more.

Dental Treatment resulted in 80 Pre-Surgical exams and the removal of 18 teeth.

We visited 2 elementary schools and nearly 1,000 children were provided with dental education. Each child received a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a toothbrushing/oral hygiene pamphlet.

6 new students sponsored to attend school


Mission 2017: jan 29 - feb 3: lucena, Philippines

In just six days, our surgeons performed a total of 61 surgeries: 54 Patients, 24 Cleft Lips, 25 Cleft Palates, 6 Combination Cleft Lip and Palates; 79 Pre-surgical oral exams were performed; 11 children were sponsored to attend school; three elementary school visits were organized and more than 1,000 children were provided with dental education. Each child received a toothbrush, tooth paste, and a toothbrushing/oral hygiene pamphlet.


Mission 2016: feb. 7-12: kalibo, Philippines


In just six days, our surgeons performed a total of 74 surgeries, 37 cleft lip surgeries and 37 cleft palate repairs. Our dentists worked with 17 patients, removing a total of 59 teeth. We sponsored 5 children to attend school through our new Education Fund. And our entire volunteer team brought laughter, smiles, and joy to countless children through outreach in the community.

“I feel so honored and very proud to be a part of the 2016 Mending Faces Mission in Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines. I volunteered my services and saw the lives of many children change for the better, and at the same time meeting so many new friends from all over the world!”
— Dr. Arnold Ibarreta Jayme, 2015 President of the Rotary Club of Kalibo

Mission 2015: kalibo, Aklan, Philippines

  • 83 Patients

  • 87 Procedures

  • 54 Cleft Lips

  • 33 Cleft Palates

  • 23 dental patients, over 50 teeth extracted along with examining nine Special Need Patients in a near-by Facility for future care

  • Dental education programs at local elementary schools (dental hygiene), toothbrushes and toothpaste given to each child


Mission 2014: kalibo, aklan, Philippines

  • 63 Patients

  • 69 Procedures

  • 24 Palates; 40 Lips; 1 Combo Palate and Lip; 3 Misc. Procedures (Skin Tag Removal)

  • Dental education programs at local elementary schools (dental hygiene), toothbrushes and toothpaste given to each child


Mission 2013: Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines

  • 51 Patients

  • 60 Procedures

  • 19 Palates; 35 Lips; 3 Combo Palate and Lips

  • Dental education programs at local elementary schools (dental hygiene), toothbrushes and toothpaste given to each child


Mission 2012: San Jose, Antique, Philippines

  • 80 Patients

  • 90 Procedures

  • 22 Palates; 68 Lips

  • Dental education programs at local elementary schools (dental hygiene), toothbrushes and toothpaste given to each child


Mission 2011: Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines

  • 35 Patients

  • 58 Procedures

  • Dental education programs at local elementary schools (dental hygiene), toothbrushes and toothpaste given to each child