A Human Right That Children Deserve

There’s a global crisis — right now, 5 billion people can’t receive the surgical care they need, when they need it.

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We bring together medical volunteers, donors and local health care partners to provide free, safe cleft surgery and comprehensive care to children living in low- and middle-income countries. Because in as little as 45 minutes, we can surgically treat a cleft condition that otherwise would cause a lifetime of significant physical, emotional and social hardships.

What is a Cleft Condition?

A cleft, one of the most common facial differences in children, is a gap in a baby’s lip or mouth that didn’t close during early pregnancy. Cleft conditions are serious health issues. Babies can have difficulty latching and swallowing, leading to malnutrition and even starvation. As they grow, kids face ongoing challenges with eating, breathing and speaking, which can take a toll on their confidence and mental health.

Moises Valeriana Chamatun Castro Before his Surgery

Danielle is a student leader who represents Canada with pride during global student events.

A Growing Community of Helpers

Operation Smile is supported by more than 60,000 Canadians who believe, like us, that every child born with a cleft lip or palate deserves exceptional surgical and comprehensive care, no matter where they are born.

Together, we create health that lasts a lifetime.

Learn more about our work

What Our Community Says

For a medical condition that can rob a kid of the innocence of childhood, it’s amazing that my relatively small donation can change their life forever. The medical volunteers do absolute wonders with a surgery that can take about an hour… and then in long-term therapies that help their whole lives. I hope to be involved for many, many years!

Kim B, Operation Smile Donor

I work with Operation Smile because I’ve always had a heart for giving back. All the children are special and the differences that we see when we do the surgeries, the before and the after… it’s just amazing. My hopes for the children that we serve is that they can go back into the communities without the biases and the prejudices that come along with having cleft lip and cleft palate and that they can go on to be productive young people.

Vanessa Espinosa, Volunteer Operating Room Nurse

At 6 years old in Tanzania, Heller suffered a severe allergy attack. “My mother had to carry me on her back for nearly 10 kilometres to reach the closest district hospital. That journey could have ended very differently, and it left a deep impression on me as a child. I have felt what it’s like to be a vulnerable patient in a place where the health care system is not easily accessible. That experience gave me a personal lens on health inequities, one that continues to drive me today… This is deeply personal to me and I find it very rewarding.”

Augustino Heller, M.D., Operation Smile Regional Director of East Africa

The Journey to Care

Ramata's Journey to a New Smile

The journey does not begin or end with surgery. At Operation Smile, we provide specialized cleft support from infancy to adulthood to help our patients thrive at each stage of life.

When Marina gave birth to beautiful Ramata, people told her to dump her in the river because she was born with a cleft lip and palate.

Mariana was determined to find Ramata the care she needed and deserved. Five times, she raised enough money to cover bus fare to bring Ramata to be evaluated for surgery. But Ramata was turned away each time for being anemic or underweight. Even if Ramata had been healthy, Mariana couldn’t afford the surgery.

Everything changed when she met a volunteer from Operation Smile Ghana who told her that Ramata could receive free, safe surgery — as well as complimentary transportation, lodging and meals during the next surgical program.

In the months leading up to the surgical week, Ramata started kindergarten. She loved learning but was shunned and bullied because of the way she looked.

After a comprehensive health examination, Ramata was cleared for surgery! Mariana marveled at the care and attention Ramata received during the surgical programs and the love and care the volunteers showed the patients and their families.

Ramata continues to receive cleft care, including surgeries as she grows, and speech therapy to help her speak clearly and confidently! When she grows up, she wants to be a nurse to help others who are sick.