14-month-old Luna was diagnosed with Pfeiffer Syndrome and needs surgery to help ease her future discomfort; the Smile Foundation has partnered with BigShoe and German footballer Mesut Özil to make it happen.
Cape Town, South Africa (09 November 2021) – “So many children are excluded from our society due to physical deformation. They should be helped to have a happier future” shares professional German footballer, Mesut Özil, a generous sponsor of BigShoe® – a non-profit, worldwide growing network of football and sports fans, helping poor children with life-changing medical operations and more.
Through Smile Week, Smile Foundation can bring Özil’s sentiment to life. Coordinated by the Smile Foundation, Smile Week is a full working week, during which surgeons, their assisting surgical teams, other medical professionals and hospital staff open their hearts and clear their schedules to perform reconstructive surgery on disadvantaged children suffering from facial anomalies and the emotional pain that accompanies these conditions.
Sponsored by BigShoe®, this upcoming Smile Week will commence the week of 8 November 2021 at Cape Town’s Tygerberg Hospital, where 19 children will undergo surgery. Some of which will include cleft lip, cleft palate and ear reconstructive surgery.
“We are immensely grateful to the BigShoe® foundation for their incredible support of our initiative. We show so much appreciation to the dedicated Head of Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr Alexander Zuhlke and his team of compassionate surgeons, the medical professionals and hospital staff, who will be giving these children the life-changing surgery they so desperately need.” shares Kim Robertson Smith, CEO of Smile Foundation.
Of the children undergoing life-changing surgery is Luna, a 14-month old baby born with Pfeiffer Syndrome – a complex genetic disorder in which certain bones in the skull join together in early development. This prevents the skull from growing normally, affecting the shape of the head and face, sometimes causing increased pressure around the brain. If left untreated, Pfeiffer Syndrome can cause developmental complications such as raised intracranial pressure causing recurrent headaches and problems with vision.
In Luna’s case, her mother, Maggie – a very loving mom who lost employment due to the pandemic – was told after giving birth that her little girl had Pfeiffer Syndrome and would need cranial remodelling surgery as soon as possible to avoid further health problems down the line. Luna was added to the Smile Week list to be operated on and will be given the chance of enjoying a happier childhood.
Luna’s operation will be an intricate and lengthy one. Through cranial remodelling, her skull will be re-shaped to allow more room for her brain to grow. What makes this procedure so urgent is that, being under the age of two, Luna’s bones are still soft and pliable, which will make them easier to move to create a normal head shape. Luna’s parents remain in good spirits as they await her operation that will give their daughter a far better start in life.
“Our faces are one of our most important assets in life. They display our emotions, which share necessary clues to our feelings with those around us. Not being able to express ourselves properly, has a dire effect on our psychological wellbeing. Through our commitment to support the rights and meet the needs of previously disadvantaged children, we aim to offer every child a chance to overcome their difficulties and live more fulfilling lives.” concludes Kim Robertson Smith.
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