Cape Town - Surgeons, their assisting surgical teams, other medical professionals and hospital staff will open their hearts and clear their schedules to perform reconstructive surgery on 28 children suffering from physical anomalies and the emotional pain of such conditions for Smile Week.
Co-ordinated by the Smile Foundation, the upcoming Smile Week is sponsored by BigShoe, a non-profit worldwide growing network of football and sports fans, helping disadvantaged children with life-changing medical operations and more.
Among the 28 children undergoing life-changing surgery is 2-year-old Chadlin, who was born with craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which the bones of a baby’s skull join together too early, before the brain is fully formed.
His young life has been trying so far, having to go through tests, scans and various consultations from just four months.
This condition causes pressure on the developing brain, leaving little room for it to grow, and can lead to the detrimental disruption of their intellectual development, chronic headaches, increased irritability and poor feeding.
Because of the deformity of an abnormal head shape that craniosynostosis causes, children who are not able to undergo corrective surgery become extremely self-conscious about their physical differences later on in life.
A little while after Chadlin was born, his grandmother began noticing physical differences compared with other children his age.
His 4-year-old brother was diagnosed with the same condition.
Despite his condition, Chadlin is still a playful, joyful and busy toddler. Although the older kids in the street make fun of him, his family and friends love, accept and support him unconditionally.
Chadlin’s mother expressed her gratitude and relief that his operation would be taking place during this Smile Week.
Tygerberg Hospital chief executive Dr Matodzi Mukosi said: “Many children with facial deformities get their smiles, literally and figuratively, because of the surgical operations performed yearly here at Tygerberg Hospital during Smile Week.
“Thank you to the Smile Foundation and BigShoe for partnering with us in making a difference to the lives of so many children and their families.” Smile Foundation chief executive Kim Robertson-Smith said the sad reality is that people tend to avoid what looks different from the norm.
“Because of this, children with physical differences are often made to feel isolated from other children as well as their communities.
“With the corrective life-changing surgeries that will take place during this Smile Week – all thanks to the incredible financial support of BigShoe Foundation, and the dedicated team of surgeons, medical professionals and hospital staff of Tygerberg Hospital – we are honoured to be playing a part in uplifting families and rewriting futures, one child at a time,” said Robertson-Smith.
When asked to share his thoughts on children with physical abnormalities, professional German footballer Mesut Özil, a generous sponsor of BigShoe, said: “So many children are excluded from our society due to physical deformation. They should be helped to have a happier future.”
Cape Times