Celebrating the lifelong service and global impact of two caring volunteers
At Operation Smile, volunteers are the hands and heart of our mission. Their skill, compassion and commitment make it possible to deliver surgeries and comprehensive cleft care closer to our patients’ homes.
Among these incredible volunteers are Operating Room (OR) Nurse Anne Winters-Trask and Plastic Surgeon Dr. Louise Caouette Laberge, who’ve been part of Operation Smile since 1999. For more than two decades, they’ve shown up for children with unwavering dedication, helping hundreds of kids smile brighter and pursue healthier lives. Their dedication to bringing care within reach for families in need truly inspires us.
Anne — A Lifetime of Care
After 40 years as an OR Nurse at IWK Children and Women’s Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Anne has recently retired from her full-time professional career. But her volunteer journey continues strong, and she brings children new smiles even today!
Throughout her time with Operation Smile, Anne has attended more than 45 surgical programs, serving as an OR Nurse, Clinical Coordinator and Educator. She describes her visits to the countries where we work as special memories that stay with her forever.
On a recent trip to Honduras, Anne met a 12-year-old girl who was very afraid to enter the operating room. But when she saw Anne, the same caring volunteer who helped her receive a health evaluation earlier, her fear melted away.
Anne approached the girl and was met by her warm smile and a hug. Although language was a barrier, the girl was comforted by seeing a familiar, smiling face. Anne tells us, “[The girl] took my hand and walked into the OR, knowing she was with a friend. It made me feel happy that I helped change her life forever.”
From Thailand and Ethiopia to China, Egypt and beyond, Anne has helped shape countless cleft care journeys. Children around the world can speak, breathe and smile with confidence because of volunteers like her.
Louise — Inspiring Generations
Similarly, Louise has retired from her medical and volunteer career as a pediatric surgeon. Her legacy as a volunteer and educator spans 25 years and 13 global surgical programs. Her work has transformed lives across countries like Ecuador, Morocco, India and more, and her impact reaches far beyond the operating room.
As a surgeon, Louise has worked very closely with patients and their families. She tells us, “The families that we were able to help were so thankful. Seeing the look of surprise and joy on a mother’s face coming to the recovery room to hold their child [post-operation] is so rewarding and heartwarming.”
She also shares a powerful story from her trip to Somaliland, where a small group of local medical students accompanied the volunteers to learn from them. As Louise and the team were about to leave, four women students came together to read a beautiful poem they had written to thank the caring volunteers and underline their discovery that a woman, too, can be a surgeon — it was inspiring to them! A few years later, Louise reunited with one of those students and was overjoyed to find she was training to become a surgeon herself!
Stories like this show how volunteer service creates a ripple effect, inspiring change that lasts for generations.
We are so lucky to have champions like Anne and Louise. Their service reminds us that volunteering isn’t just about delivering care. It’s also about building hope and creating connections with the incredible people around us.
To Anne, Louise and all our program volunteers: thank you for your extraordinary dedication. Your commitment transforms lives and leaves a legacy of compassion that will endure for years to come.
