Operation Smile
Last Wednesday, I attended a speech given by Dr. Sam Fuller, a plastic surgeon in
Lynchburg. Dr. Fuller has been a volunteer with Operation Smile, an organization made up of medical volunteers who go to locations around world to repair children’s cleft lips and cleft palates, since 1988.
During the two-hour speech, Dr. Fuller showed us photos from his volunteering trips. I have seen some people who have cleft lips before, but they are far from being considered as serious, comparing to those photos. People who are born healthily will never understand how much those people are suffering. However, healthy people are trying to help those are suffering. Stories between those volunteering professional surgeons and patients are touching. As Dr. Fuller said, volunteering surgeons would no longer consider themselves, the only thing they think about is help as much as they can. They know, at this time, one more operation means one more child’s life is changed. Eventually, they realize that they are changing the future and that is the best reward they get.
I was moved and decide to take action. Something I can do here in
Lynchburg to support Operation Smile, such as organizing a fundraising march to downtown. I will start planning as soon as possible.