An anonymous donor has done it again – donated the funds needed to perform 14 life-changing surgeries and relieve some of the backlogs felt at public hospitals.
Johannesburg, South Africa (22 July 2022) – With the country under the lowest level of COVID-19 restrictions to date, South Africans are appreciating a new sense of freedom. This liberating move into a new normal also brings immense relief for parents waiting for time-sensitive surgeries for their children – like cleft lip and palate repair – that were put on hold due to the pandemic.
July is not only important in that it is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month – it brings with it a much-needed alleviation of the backlog of corrective surgeries, which will be made possible in the upcoming Smile Week.
Coordinated by Smile Foundation, July Smile Week will be taking place at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH), which is quite fitting as we are also celebrating Madiba Month, and it is through our beloved Nelson Mandela’s passion for helping our nation’s children, that the first Smile Week came into being at this very hospital, back in 2000. From 25 to 29 July 2022, 14 children from disadvantaged families, suffering from facial anomalies and the emotional trauma surrounding these conditions, will undergo reconstructive surgery.
One of the children undergoing surgery, is 9-month-old Victor from Bloemfontein’s informal settlement, Caleb Motshabi in Mangaung. Little Victor was born with Apert’s Syndrome – a rare genetic disorder affecting the skull, face, hands and feet. The condition presents premature closure of the skull (craniosynostosis), which causes a cosmetic deformity of an abnormal head shape. This makes children extremely self-conscious and also causes pressure on the developing brain, leaving little room for it to grow, which can lead to the disruption of their intellectual development as well as chronic headaches.
In Victor’s case, his development is delayed when compared to other children his age. He has difficulty breathing, struggles to swallow food without choking and has to frequent different clinics every month to assist with the added health issues caused by his current condition. Victor lives with his mom Motshidisi and his grandmother, who are both unemployed and solely dependent on social grants to care for him.
On Tuesday, 26 July, Professor Tim Christofides, who is the paediatric plastic & reconstructive surgeon from CMJAH, together with Dr Jason Labuschagne and Dr Denis Kitaviujja Mutyaba, both neurosurgeons from Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, will be performing Victor’s life-changing surgery. Victor will undergo a craniofacial surgical procedure during which his skull will be extended to allow for more room for his brain to develop. His family are ever grateful to Smile Foundation for helping to make the impossible happen.
Currently, there are less than ten surgeons in South Africa who are proficient in performing craniofacial procedures. The shortage is partly due to the need of completing a 1-2 year fellowship in this speciality, personal interest in this area of reconstructive surgery and a need for collaboration with neuro-surgeons.
George Psaras, Medical Director and Co-founder of Smile Foundation shares, “By providing the facility for younger surgeons to be trained to perform ground-breaking procedures, Smile Foundation has, for over 22 years, supported healthcare in South African. The organisation has helped provide vital treatment to babies and children with facial disfigurement, when such treatment was not readily available and was instrumental in leading the way forward in introducing new treatments to South Africa.”
He adds, “I am honoured to be part of Smile Foundation and having worked previously in Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, I have found deep meaning in helping underprivileged South African children. And have come to believe that there is no greater joy for a surgeon, than knowing you have changed a life through your knowledge and skills.”
Discussing the anonymous donor, Chief Executive Officer of Smile Foundation, Kim Robertson Smith shares how grateful they all are for the donor’s contribution.
“We are eternally grateful to the overwhelming kindness and generosity of the anonymous donor of this Smile Week and the team of dedicated surgeons of both Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, the assisting medical professionals and hospital staff alike. Together we are able to offer children the opportunity to move forward into the future as ambassadors and powerful people, free from the emotional pain of being teased by others who are unaware of how a disability can affect a child.”
Gladys Bogoshi, CEO of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, shared her thanks to the Smile Foundation for helping them touch the lives of children in need.
“On behalf of the staff and management of CMJAH, I wish to thank Smile Foundation for continuing to collaborate with us in performing these life-changing procedures on children who would normally not have this opportunity. Our collaboration is not only about changing the lives of children, it expands our teaching platform where our health workers have an opportunity to learn from experts, how to perform complicated procedures. The resources included in this unit also enable us to do more within our own limited resources. I personally wish to thank Dr Psaras and Smile Foundation, who are fully committed to this noble cause. When Dr Psaras has time in his busy schedule overseas, he does not hesitate to return to South Africa not only to teach our health workers but perform facial reanimation operations to give the most vulnerable children hope and a better life. Smile Week continues to celebrate the life and the legacy of Tata Nelson Mandela and is even more meaningful in that it is taking place during Mandela Month. May we always make every day, a Mandela Day.”
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