Dominican Mission 2023: By Declan Brook, age 9

Mending Faces-Screening Day

Although my mother has been with Mending Faces for years this is my whole family’s first Mending Faces trip. My brother Bradan and I practiced making balloon animals from the balloons, our grandparents got us. My younger brother Liam did a puppet show and handed out little toys for the kids eagerly waiting for their chance to get checked. At first when we started making balloons for the kids at the hospital, no one paid attention to our hard work. Until one balloon sword Bradan was making popped. All the kids immediately turned to us got up and started asking for the balloons. In a few minutes everyone was waiting eagerly for their turn. It was so fun giving balloons to eager kids some my age. It came with one burden though it was so hard with my little fingers to tie the balloon. Some of the older kids helped us make balloons one girl blew up the balloon and then asked us to tie it so she could make something for a kid who didn’t have a balloon yet and sometimes she would give the balloon to me so I could make balloon animals. It made me feel so joyous to see how much kids took joy with only one little toy.

Day 2 at the hospital:

              On day 2 we brought the stuff animals we bought for all the kids at a hot toy warehouse the day before. When we brought the stuff animals to the kids and their family patiently waiting for the minute, they would bravely enter the operating room to get their cleft lip and\or pallet fixed by Mending Faces amazing group of doctors and nurses. It brings me lots of joy to see the kids play happily with the little teddy bears stuffed with fluff waiting to be filled with love and happiness. I thought to myself at that moment, “Wow, I am spoiled with toys.” The bears we gave them will probably be kept nice and clean and full of joy with all the different kids happy to have a toy to play with.

Day 3 at the hospital/ in the Operating Room:

              On day 3 we brought some more toys to kids who just came in eagerly waiting for their surgeries that day or the next day. We also gave them friendship bracelets and necklaces to work on while they waited patiently with their eager family in their room at the hospital. Early that morning while my brothers gave toys and played with the kids, my mom and I went to the Operating Room to watch our amazing nurses and surgeon’s fix kids cleft lip and\or pallet. I watched a pallet surgery. It was interesting to see how the surgeon separated the muscle and the tissue and then brought the two sides of the pallet together to fix the kid’s mouth. I threw up because I was watching the nurse suck the blood out of the kids’ mouth with a tube so the surgeon could still see. I followed the tube with my eyes until I saw a bucket of blood and that made me feel nauseous. I told my mom calmy, “I need a break.” “Okay come stand over here” she replied and then I exclaimed embarrassed,” I need to throw up.” So, she took me to the trash can and I puked. Then we went right back in the O.R.

In conclusion, this was an amazing experience and I figured out if my professional soccer career doesn’t work out, I want to be a surgeon.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, MAY 14-19

Our second annual Medical Mission to the Dominican Republic was an amazing week for the patients and volunteers alike. Our doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, admin, a photographer, and speech therapist were part of a team that successfully restored hope and provided a brighter future to 43 patients: 22 boys and 21 girls, from 6 months all the way to 31 years old; including 22 cleft lips, 23 cleft palates, 2 fistulas, 3 vomer flaps, 1 rhinoplasty, and many dental procedures.

It’s because of the teamwork of our volunteers that came from around the world (the U.S., Europe, and the Dominican Republic), that made the mission a success. And of course, donors and supporters like YOU who help us bring more smiles to children with your generous donations.

Thank you for helping make this important mission possible and giving children the chance for a healthy and productive life.

Heartwarming

By Kailey Zaronias

Nothing could’ve prepared me for the heartwarming feeling of a young Dominican girl running into my arms with a giant grin. We hadn’t even started the surgeries - it was just screening day - and yet this girl and her family showered us with thanks and appreciation. I felt like I should be thanking them! These families are so brave and will do anything for their children’s health and happiness. It’s such an honor to be part of this mission to serve the Dominican children living with cleft lip and palate. Being able to speak Spanish and connect with this community has given me more joy and hope than I could’ve anticipated. As a soon-to-be medical student, being here is contributing to my overall purpose and excitement for my future in the global medical community. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the mission!

The Dominican Republic Mission is Underway: Screening Day and Day 1 of Surgeries

By Maya Brook, Mending Faces Executive Director

Although I have been with Mending Faces for years, this is my first Medical Mission that I have attended. I have always been behind the scenes- seeing photos and hearing the stories, so I have been excited to finally attend a medical mission in person (and bring along my three sons and husband.)

Screening day began early Sunday morning. Even though we all arrived at the hospital before 9 a.m., the halls were full of 47 patients and their families awaiting their turn for screening. As it was Mother’s Day, I thought about all the moms with their children. Eager, yet nervous, waiting to find out what day their child will have their life-changing surgery- a procedure that they have been waiting on for months, or even years. When a child is born with a cleft lip or palate deformity in the U.S., they start their first surgery when they are just a few months old. In the Dominican Republic, like much of the world, the families cannot afford the surgery, and so they wait for organizations like Mending Faces, to travel to their country and provide the surgery free of charge.

This means that some of our patients are just six months old, while others are teenagers. My three sons are 9, 7, and 5 years-old, so they fit right in with the mix of the ages of the patients on screening day. My two oldest, along with my husband, spent hours making balloon animals and swords for the kids. It was a great way to break the anxiety of waiting for a turn to meet with the nurses, dentist, and surgeon. There were plenty of giggles from all the kids as they waited for their balloon. One nine-year-old girl with a cleft lip, the same age as my oldest son, hung out near him much of the morning- eager to learn how to create balloon animals alongside him. Although my son only knows a handful of words in Spanish, they were able to communicate the way all kids do- through laughter and play.

My youngest and I handed out stuffed animals generously made by one of our past medical mission volunteers, Jahnavi, and her girl scout troop. The smiles on the moms and children as we handed out the stuffed animals with tiny hand-sewn Mending Faces t-shirts filled my heart.

While we were with the patients, the behind-the-scenes team of nurses and admin volunteers were busy unpacking the surgical tools and medicines and preparing the Operating Room for the surgeries the next day. I’m in even more awe of our volunteers than I was before. The time and dedication they each give is inspiring. Most of our volunteers come to one or more of our medical missions each year- donating their time and energy to be here as well as paying for all of their expenses. Those that have travelled to developing countries know first-hand the mental and physical toll it can take. And of course, the complete wonder of the world and beauty, too.

In the end we screened 47 patients and determined 44 were healthy enough and ready for their cleft lip and/or cleft palate surgery. 44 patients were given a day and time to return to the hospital this week for their surgery. Today we have 11 patients on the schedule that will be operated on by our two Colorado-based surgeons, Dr. Jeff Swail and Dr. Gary Snider. Some will also have dental care and extractions provided by Dr. Chris Biety, also from Colorado.

Years ago, when my middle son was just 6 months-old, he had to have surgery for a hernia. I remember learning he would need the surgery when he was just a couple of days old. It’s never easy to learn your child requires medical care. The day of the surgery I was so nervous- handing over my baby to a nurse and needing to trust that they would take care of him, provide a safe surgery, and return him to me. The hour or so that the surgery took felt like days. I can remember the intense feeling of gratitude and relief as the nurse came and placed him back into my arms after a successful surgery. My thoughts are with all of the moms today and this week that will place their child in the trust of our nurses and surgical team. I’m looking forward to returning to the hospital tomorrow and witnessing the relief of the mothers. They will leave the hospital with the knowledge that they have provided their child with much-needed surgery and a chance to lead a healthy and productive life. We may come from all backgrounds, parts of the world, and have different colors of skin, but all moms want the very best for their children.

Towards the end of the day yesterday, my middle son and I were standing next to a mom and her 10-year-old daughter. “Kids are making fun of her at school,” the mom tearfully told the translator who then told our surgeons. “We will fix her lip and show her beautiful smile,” the surgeon replied.

 It’s an honor to be part of this Medical Mission in the Dominican Republic and witness the gift of cleft lip and palate surgeries, not only for the children, but for the mothers, too. 

Mending more than faces: changed lives in El Salvador

During our most recent visit to El Salvador, volunteers Kathy S. and Aurora H. set out to follow up with patients from previous missions. They were able to contact about 25 patients from the past two years in El Salvador and learn how their procedures have affected their lives. 

Valeria was just 3 years old when a pot of boiling water spilled on her right hand, leaving severe damage that would affect her into her early twenties. The scar tissue restricted the movement of her wrist so that it was always stuck at a right angle. During the 2021 mission, our surgeons removed some of the scar tissue on her wrist to increase her mobility. Now, Valeria can straighten her wrist fully, and her renewed mobility has opened up many more opportunities to her, such as meaningful work. Although our mission focuses on children born with cleft lips and palates, we are grateful to be able to use our resources to help those burdened by other deformities as well, such as burns.

When we met Christopher in 2021, he was 3 years old and did not speak. He had a unique lateral cleft case that our surgeons had never seen before. His mother told us that now, 1 year after his brachial cleft repair, he can speak! The family is very happy and looks forward to seeing us during our next mission to El Salvador.

Jonathan is a burn victim who lost the use of both hands. All of the fingers on his left hand were fused together by scar tissue. In 2021, Mending Faces was able to help free his thumb on his hand and gave him the ability to grasp. He is so happy with his renewed sense of independence!

Andres, then 15, received a lip revision and tip rhinoplasty from Mending Faces in 2021. We were so happy to hear that with his new pride and confidence, Andres is attending school in California!

These life changing stories are the reason we do the work we do. Thank you for your support of our mission to restore hope and provide a brighter future to those whose lives are burdened by cleft lip, cleft palate and other deformities.

Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 6, and features a $1 Million+ Incentive Fund. Every nonprofit receiving a donation on Colorado Gives Day receives a portion of the fund, increasing impact and the value of every dollar donated. 

Help us provide free life-changing surgery to children in the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador. Schedule your Colorado Gives Day donation today.

Future Missions in El Salvador

We first decided to conduct a medical mission to El Salvador through a conversation on an airplane between Board Member Monnie Biety and international philanthropist Jack Cain. As luck would have it, this conversation would lead to connections on site in El Salvador and 3 life-changing medical missions.

Fast forward a few years, and we are now looking to Gale Knight, post op/ward nurse from Michigan who has been volunteering with Mending Faces for eight years. Two years ago, Gale was involved in another mission in El Salvador through an organization called Helping Hands that focuses on other physical deformities such as hernias, burns, and breast masses. Through that mission, Gale was able to make connections to the Hospital Nacional de Ninos Benjamin Bloom (HNNBB). Her connections at HNNBB allowed us, Mending Faces, to get connected with the First Lady of El Salvador when we were on the ground in San Salvador in October 2022. 

With this connection to the government and to other philanthropic organizations in El Salvador working with the same targeted populations, we know we will be able to continue our Annual Mission to El Salvador. We now have a direct line to patients that need our help to receive life changing surgeries. Thank you to the First Lady, to our friends at HNNBB, and to Gale Knight for making the connection!

Gale Knight in her natural habitat in the post op ward in the Hospital Militar Central in San Salvador, El Salvador

A Mother’s Love: El Salvador '22

One of the most compelling reasons we volunteer for Mending Faces is for the lives we change and the stories that we become a part of. Cindy Hoffman, volunteer from Ithaca, NY on her 4th mission with Mending Faces, shared her perspective of one of these especially touching stories.

On the first day of the El Salvador 2022 mission, Cindy was observing surgeons Åse and Hallvard screen each patient for their eligibility for surgery. She was in the room as mother Lilian and son Isaias entered to each be screened for their shortened tongue frenulum, a condition that restricts the tongues range of motion. The mother explained to the surgeons that through this condition, both the mother and son have speech problems as a result of the shortened frenulum. The surgeons, after evaluating Isaias’ tongue, told the mother that surgery would not be helpful. “Usually speech problems come with palate problems, but can also be related to so many things like muscles behind the palates, or cognitive function, or articulation failure,” said Åse. The surgeons didn’t want to perform a treatment that wouldn’t address the issue, and felt that speech therapy would be more effective than the frenectomy.

After making the decision not to operate on the boy, the surgeons removed him from the seat and asked the mother to sit down for evaluation. During her evaluation, Lilian began to cry, “I beg of you to do anything to help my son, you don’t understand, he cannot speak, he is bullied at school, he cannot go to school, if it’s a choice between me and my son, please do not even look at me.” She tried to have her son Isaias demonstrate the trill, the sound of rolling r’s that’s so important to the Spanish language, and neither the mother nor the son could perform the sound.

Åse and Hallvard were not willing to perform a surgery that they did not believe would be helpful for the patient. Usually, the tongue ligament is not the answer, but rather a component of a more complex issue. However, moved by the mother’s emotions and willingness for sacrifice, they could hear that the trill was difficult and decided to take a second look at the boy. Eventually, they both decided that releasing the tongue could be helpful to the boy’s improved speech in the future, coupled with speech therapy.

Both Lilian and her son Isaias received the tongue frenectomy free of charge in the hopes of improving their speech and overall social disposition. For Cindy, this heart-tugging story of a mother’s love for her son affirmed what she’s learned in the last four Mending Faces missions that she has been a part of - “good mothers are shining examples of what the world should be; love and sacrifice.”

Cleft lip and palate are just one example of many physical deformities that people’s lives are burdened with around the world. At Mending Faces, we are grateful to help alleviate physical and social burdens for many around the world. If you would like to be a part of our life-changing missions, please consider volunteering, or making a donation today.

A Big Thanks from Mending Faces

We want to extend a special thank you to everyone involved in making our 2022 Santo Domingo Mission a great success!

Our two surgeons, Dr. Jeffrey Swail and Dr. Gary Snider, worked tirelessly each day, performing a total of 40 surgeries in 5 days. Without their hard work, diligence, and attention to detail, we simply could not provide this life changing service to so many in need. Thank you both for your hard work with Mending Faces!

Dr. Snider

Dr. Swail

We also want to thank to our partner organization, FNE International, a philanthropic organization from Massachusetts that facilitates collaboration for humanitarian interests. We are so grateful for FNEI representatives Michael, Nahirobi, and Pedro, who without their hard work and connections to the Dominican Republic, this mission would not have been possible.

A resounding THANK YOU to all of the volunteers that donated their time and resources to serving those affected by cleft lip and cleft palate. It takes a village to fulfill our mission, with help from surgical technicians, anesthesiologists, nurses, photographer, translators, and more. Without all of your hard work and dedication, none of this would be possible!

Just a few of our volunteers posing in beautiful Santo Domingo.

And lastly, thank you to all of our donors and partners who support our mission. We couldn’t perform our life-changing work without your help. Celebrate our success and help us prepare for our next mission in El Salvador at our upcoming Restoring Hope fundraiser this August. Stay tuned for more details.

Mission Success in the Dominican Republic

And that’s a wrap! We worked hard this past week to serve 40 patients in the Dominican Republic, performing 20 palate repairs, 19 lip repairs, and 1 eye lid repair. The youngest patient we served was 6 months, the oldest was 10 years. On the day before the last day of surgery, 27 more patients showed up after hearing about our mission from television news coverage. Needless to say, we are making plans to return next year! In the mean time, Mending Faces donated much needed medical supplies to the local hospital including sutures, anesthesia supplies, and surgical instruments specific for cleft surgeries, totaling about $3,500. Mending Faces will continue to provide speech therapy to 9 patients over the course of year with a speech therapist in Santo Domingo.

Mission Impact on Children in the Dominican Republic

By Nahirobi Peguero | Dominican lawyer for the UN, mission volunteer, and member of FNE International

Mending Faces Cleft and Lip Palate Mission to the Dominican Republic has been a life-changing experience for all individuals involved in the process. Children who had only dreamed of a lip/cleft palate surgery, because they lack documentation or their parents do not have the financial resources, experienced it come true during the week of  May 16th, 2022. They traveled from all parts of the country, regions: East, South, and North. One of the unforgettable stories is that of a mother who said her son could finally go to school because he would no longer be at risk of facing bullying due to his medical condition. Thus, not only did his physical appearance change, but in that operating room, his barriers to accessing education were broken. 

For volunteers and hospital staff, the mission was a great learning experience. The spirit and energy of the Mending Faces team are contagious. It not only inspired all of us to contribute to the mission, but it motivated us to go back to our jobs with a different perspective, that of using all our skills and knowledge for the populations we serve, with the goal of making each person´s life better. 

Getting Back to Work in the Dominican Republic

By Cassidy Craig | PACU Volunteer

Seven years ago, I travelled halfway across the world as a sophomore in high school on my first mission trip with Mending Faces. I am forever grateful for that experience because it introduced me to the medical world at such a young age. I’m super excited to be back this year in a new location, the Dominican Republic! Bright and early this morning, we met with our team over breakfast and discussed our roles throughout the day. Screening day is always busy as we meet so many new faces in order to carefully craft the surgical schedules for the upcoming week. After breakfast, we loaded up the bus and headed over to Clínica Cruz Jiminian. We were warmly welcomed and given a tour of our new space before quickly getting to work. Half of the team worked on unpacking and setting up the operating rooms while the other half met with the prospective patients. On my previous missions, I served as a volunteer and tried my best to interact with the children despite the language barrier in the Philippines. This year, I was able to get more involved after a few years of patient care experience in the Emergency Department. I worked alongside Anna Domingo during the screening process, administering COVID swabs and taking vitals signs. I’m looking forward to the first day of surgeries tomorrow and can’t wait to help out in the PACU!

From Behind the Lens: A Photographer’s Mission

By Kaysie Logan | Mending Faces Photographer, El Salvador 2021

Participating in the Mending Faces 2021 El Salvador mission has brought joy to the faces of everyone involved. It is a story of stories, transforming the lives of those with less, living a life that would otherwise be tainted by facial or other body deformities that ostracize them from their peers and make living a normal life difficult or impossible. The volunteers of Mending Faces dedicate their time to helping these individuals live a life they deserve. Although surgery brings pain, joy and liberation await at the end.

For me, working with the patients has allowed me to be apart of something great, and be a piece of the story that changes these lives forever. As the photographer, my goal is to tell the story of stories, to give perspective into the mission that transforms the lives of so many. Capturing love and heartache, pain and happiness, joy and satisfaction, through the lens of my camera - that is my mission. From the mother letting go of her child to wait in the unknown, to their reunion together and beginning of their new life, I am there to capture those moments. These moments have brought me to tears and will remain with me as I go through life, forever grateful for the opportunities and life that I am given.

The most touching part has been interacting with the patients post-operation, bringing smiles to new faces and sharing in their joy. Through the pain and hardship, these children and patients still smile and show their immense gratitude to all of us involved in the mission.

Personally, I am rewarded in returning to my love of photography, Spanish, and art, through purpose and service. Through this mission I can reconnect with these abilities and use my talents to help others less fortunate than I, making these pastimes all the more meaningful. Through photography, I tell the stories of the mission. Through translation, I bridge the gap between cultures. Through art, I bring color and joy.

I look forward to revisiting my passions through service in El Salvador in October 2022.

Another year of COVID 19 - What does this mean for Mending Faces' patients?

Despite all of our hopes, the COVID 19 pandemic has continued to impact communities across the globe, yours, ours, and those that Mending Faces aims to serve with life changing medical procedures. While Mending Faces was able to travel to El Salvador for one medical mission, serving 25 patients, we were not able to return to the Philippines in 2021.

We are disappointed to say the least. But we have no intention of giving up. Mending Faces is currently hard at work planning medical missions for 2022.

You might ask why, with all the risks that come from traveling during a global pandemic.

Cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities drastically impact the lives of those who are born with them. Poor communities around the globe do not have access to the surgical procedures that correct the deformities early in life, giving children the best chance for success. Since the pandemic, what access these communities did have through non-profit organizations has been drastically cut off.

How does this affect patients? Delay in treatment can have long term impacts on the health and well being of those affected. Cleft lip and palate patients have a hard time getting proper nutrition, are at risk for infections, and often face poor mental health. Indigent communities often don’t have access to the education that would help people understand what causes facial deformities, instead their views are shaped by superstition that often leads families to isolate and prevent children from attending school. This makes it incredibly difficult for children born with facial deformities to lead full, healthy, lives.

The longer a patient doesn’t receive treatment the longer they face immense hardship. In the Philippines, there have been between 8,000 and 10,000 babies born with cleft deformities since the start of the pandemic. With international travel virtually impossible, these patients did not have access to the surgeries that will provide them with a better future, creating a backlog of those in need.

There are a lot of hurdles to jump to get a medical mission in place right now. We are diligently working with our local partners to plan medical missions while still ensuring the safety of our volunteers. In the Philippines, this includes continued conversations with the Rotary Club of Kalibo and UGAT, so that the moment that there is hospital space available for our patients we are able to return. In El Salvador, it is working with the 7th Day Adventist Church of San Salvador to plan a fall mission.

Additionally, we have partnered FNE International, an organization that supports communities in developing nations to improve housing, health, and education. This partnership will help us assess the viability of adding additional mission sites in 2022. We are incredibly hopeful that this will allow a mission to be planned in Latin America.

Thank you for your ongoing support during this time, it is essential in the mission of providing hope and a brighter future to those burdened with cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities.