“He was unprotected, and I had the chance to help him. I felt like it was what I needed to do,” nurse Mónica del Valle reminisces about adopting baby Álvaro as her own. He was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate and sadly, his family abandoned him at the hospital where Mónica worked.
Mónica knew the road ahead for Álvaro would not be an easy one. Fortunately, she was referred to Operation Smile in Paraguay by a specialist. Álvaro soon began receiving the vital care he needed for his first cleft surgery.
Mónica’s compassion transformed Álvaro’s future – and so has yours. As an Operation Smile partner, you’ve helped Mónica get her new son the cleft surgery and comprehensive care he needs to thrive. In September 2019, our global medical volunteers repaired Álvaro’s cleft lip. He continued to receive follow-up cleft care until he was ready for his cleft palate surgery.
Pure compassion is the overwhelming factor that drove Mónica, our global medical volunteers, and YOU to deliver life-changing and vital cleft care to children around the world.
“Seeing him for the first time after the surgery was just amazing, I can’t describe the feeling.”
Mónica, Álvaro’s grateful mother
Your generosity and care did not stop there! It has helped Operation Smile offer vital follow-up surgeries, and in October 2022, our global medical volunteers performed 15 rhinoplasty procedures over two days for patients to correct nose alignment and improve the patient’s ability to breathe easier.
We continue to care with all our hearts for our patients, their families, the communities we serve, and the people who help us serve them. We are beaming together with our patients and global volunteers because of the support of compassionate partners like you!
