At the end of each year, a division of the Wits Medical School, brings a smile to about 40 children through a simple gift:  the gift of social acceptance, the ability to smile.

The children suffer from a facial abnormality which prevents them from smiling and which can be rectified by facial reconstructive surgery, the cost of which is astronomic.

The operations are arranged by the Smile Foundation of the Wits Medical School. The foundation utilises the wards, surgical theaters and personnel of the hospital for a week.

Smile Week is not only about the reconstructive surgery itself, but rather about how it can reconstruct - and transform - children’s lives.  

“We are looking forward to the wards filling with anxious moms who want their childrens’ abnormalities repaired, like Cleft Palate and Moebius Syndrome,” said one nurse .

Another nurse, who did not want to be named, said: “Her sister had a child born with a cleft lip and palate and for a long time the family were unable to do anything about it. My sister started to isolate the child from people because she was afraid they would be horrified. She even considered giving up the baby for adoption.”

“I am glad to see that more parents are now aware that something can be done about it,” she said.

The surgical team is led by Prof Elias Ndobe, head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Medical School.

 
 “It will be a strenuous week for both, patients and us, but in the end the rewards are enormous. We will do our best so that all procedures will be successful,” said Prof Ndobe.