Little Olivia has been Waiting for Her New Smile and She is about to Get it!

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Olivia is so close to getting her new smile after months of waiting; her mom met the team from the Smile Foundation, and things turned around!

Johannesburg, South Africa (19 October 2021) – In October 2020, a little bundle of joy named Olivia came into the world encumbered with more than anyone could ever have anticipated – a cleft lip and palate.

Seven months later, Olivia’s much-needed surgery to repair her cleft lip was compromised due to a fire at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH), where she was due to be operated on.

The anxious family’s woes were further compounded by the backlog of elective surgeries brought about by the pandemic, as well as the cost of protecting Olivia’s dignity and delivering a smile.

Then serendipity reigned. Soon after receiving the upsetting news, Olivia’s distraught mother, Franche, noticed a gentleman wearing a Smile Foundation mask. As good fortune would have it, his wife happened to be Smile Foundation’s GM Kim Robertson Smith, the organisation responsible for delivering more than 3800 successful surgeries since its inception 21 years ago.

Franche and Kim united, and with Smile Foundation’s support, and fundraising driven by Crema Nail & Beauty Lounge, Olivia is now set to receive a late first birthday gift in the form of bilateral surgery to recover her smile come Christmas 2021.

“This collaboration with Smile Foundation is to raise awareness and funds to sponsor baby Olivia to have the operations needed for her bilateral surgery and we are honoured to be a part in bringing a smile to Olivia’s face,” comments Crema Beauty co-owner, Sandy Koukouves.

Olivia will require a surgery to repair the cleft lip and then another for her palate, which, left untreated, could affect her speech and way of life.

The Smile Foundation is a South African NPO that assists children with any type of facial abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate.

If you would like to support Olivia, you can help fund her surgeries by donating directly to the Smile Foundation in her name. If you would like more information, you can reach out to the foundation here.