Giving the Gift of a Smile….a Lasting Legacy
NEWSLETTER December 2014
FOUNDER OF ORC RECEIVES AWARDS This year, our President and Founder, Dr. Rai, was the recipient of the prestigious Governor General’s Caring Canadians Award. Created in 1995, the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award recognizes individuals who volunteer their time to help others and to build a smarter and more caring nation. The award also highlights the fine example set by these volunteers, whose compassion and engagement are so much a part of our Canadian character. It allows Canadians to thank them for their contributions and for the positive impact they have had on the lives of others. Congratulations on a well-deserved award, Dr. Rai! Dr. Rai the award in a presentation ceremony at Government House in Victoria on January 24, 2014.
2014 UBC ALUMI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD One of ORC’s core values is the best ‘reward’ is the smiles of our patients and their families. The other is we wish to remain100% volunteer based. We are very proud that we have remained true to our values for 16 years under Dr. Rai’s leadership. Even though we are generating more smiles, there’s so much more work we can do. We continue to be saddened by the struggles that many children have to endure in developing countries and at the same time, humbled by their courage in their every day lives. With each procedure that improves someone’s life, our member’s energies are renewed; and none more so than Dr. Rai’s. At ORC, we have always felt a great sense of privilege to be working with a great leader. Dr. Rai has always treated the tremendous effort in leading and motivating a team of volunteers, aside from his busy practice and home life; in a very matter of fact fashion. Never been one to dwell on past successes, his focus has always been on the next mission. After the years of hard work, we are glad that the wider community has also recognized Dr. Rai as someone very special. Being the recipient of both the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award and the UBC Outstanding Alumni Award have put Dr. Rai in the company of some of the top achievers in our country.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Dear friends, This is the 16th year of ORC and I am so grateful for all your support. As in previous years, this year went by very quickly. We started with our February mission to the Preah Ketmelea Hospital in Phnom Penh. This year, we had an outreach team to Samdech Hun Sen Hospital approximately 400 km from the capital. In addition, we wanted to expand our interactions with the local medical professionals and started discussions with the University of Health Sciences so that ORC can support a program to train a group of local plastic surgeons. As always, I was energized by interactions with bright young minds; from the residents and fellows who joined our missions to the local medical students who are so eager for knowledge. This year, I was invited to give a career talk about plastic surgery at UBC’s Phi Delta Epsilon Society and I spoke about how fortunate I was to be able to help people with the skills I have gained over the years. The students in turn conveyed their passion to make a difference in the world through a medical career and I was in turn inspired by their enthusiasm. There is still too much sadness through war and we are very truly blessed to be living in Canada. As ORC had gained a solid reputation for surgical excellence in overseas missions, Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn of Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital extended an invitation to join the Canadian humanitarian surgical mission in the Ukraine from November 6 to 16. The mission was organized and funded by the Canada Ukraine Foundation to perform reconstruction surgeries for the wounded soldiers and civilians impacted by the war. As ORC’s mandate is to provide cleft lip and palate surgery to children and young adults in developing countries, this mission was not within our area. However, five ORC members volunteered as individuals and provided their skills to a country beset by war. It was memorable for us to spend Remembrance Day in Kiev and we thought about all the sacrifices that previous generations have made so that we as Canadians are able to enjoy our freedom in a peaceful land. I would like to thank all the volunteers of Operation Rainbow Canada for their work year after year. As the head of the organization, I was honoured to receive the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award in January and the Alumni UBC Achievement Awards on behalf of all of you. I would also like to thank all our donors and their financial support so that ORC can continue its valuable work as a 100% volunteer organization. We have future missions planned in the upcoming years in Hansot in Gurjarat, India, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines. ORC and its volunteers will strive to make the world a better place.
With gratitude,
Dr. Kimit Rai M.D., F.R.C.S.C. – Founder and President
Giving the Gift of a Smile….a Lasting Legacy
VISIT FROM A SUPPORTER Mr. D. Hugh Gillard, successful businessman, philanthropist, generous supporter of Operation Rainbow Canada and author of the book “What Did You Say?” We ORC volunteers receive most of our thanks in smiles from our patients and their families and say thank you’s in the local language or English. We know our work is valuable but we really don’t often get to hear about living with the condition from the patient’s point of view. This September, we were very fortunate that Mr. Hugh Gillard, a long-time supporter of ORC, made a special trip to our September meeting from Calgary and spoke to us about his trials and tribulations with the cleft lip and palate condition. Hugh’s down to earth personality and sense of humour captured our group’s attention immediately. Some of the situations that he faced touched our hearts and his triumphs and successes inspired us. That evening renewed our energy towards working to help the children who will receive a chance to be successful themselves and also help others; just like Hugh. The book, “What Did You Say”, is highly recommended reading for learning more about living with cleft lip and palate. During the meeting, Hugh presented ORC with donations that was from the proceeds of his book and other fundraising efforts on our behalf. Thanks Hugh! This book was published on November 12, 2013. Available both in hardcover and electronically at Kobo, Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. Mr. Gillard is kindly donating proceeds to ORC.
What Did You Say?
Memories on a Road Less Travelled By Mr. D. Hugh Gillard
ABOUT THE BOOK How does one find happiness in life when they can’t even say their own name correctly? Memories on a Road Less Traveled is the life story of Mr. D. Hugh Gillard, a young boy born with a cleft lip and palate who grew to adulthood and achieved great success. Although faced with the many challenges of being “different,” Mr. Gillard was raised to see himself only as “normal.” Nevertheless, he struggled with a severe speech impediment, unusual appearance, hearing loss, and discrimination, which so many clefted individuals are forced to deal with. This was all while trying to build a life and career. And that, he did. After four decades in the Oil and Gas industry, Mr. Gillard has retired as a pillar of the community and inspiration to many, including his ever-growing family. What Did You Say? Memories on a Road Less Travelled shows the heartache and triumphs of a man determined to have that “normal” life. With his uproarious sense of humor and whimsy, Mr. Gillard shares his unique views of how to succeed in life and business and have a good time while you’re doing it. This collection of memoirs and recollections is motivational, historical, candid, self-effacingly humorous, and moving. From his earliest days growing up on the family ranch, to his ascension to the heights of the corporate boardroom, Mr. Gillard shares it all; from family life, to making friends, dating, surgeries, discrimination, getting educated, career successes (and failures) and married life - in his entertaining and down to earth style that he hopes will inspire anyone facing the challenges of being just a little bit different. Mr. Gillard is kindly donating proceeds to ORC
Giving the Gift of a Smile….a Lasting Legacy
PROFILE OF PATIENTS Another successful mission to the Preah Ketmelea Hospital in Phnom Penh in 2014. By Doreen Lore Mission Coordinator (Cambodia 2012 and 2013)
Another successful mission to the Preah Ketmelea Hospital in Phnom Penh in 2014. On each mission, we register all patients with their translated names from the Khmer language and interact with them using their given names during our short time in Cambodia. There are a few children who especially touch the team and we tend to fondly remember them with an ‘association’.
We first provided teaching to her mom on how to feed her. Then we provided enough formula to least 6 months with follow-up with an NGO close to her village. The team happily greeted “Battambang Baby” and her family when we returned in 2013 and saw a healthy, happy 2 year old ready for her first cleft lip and palate surgery.
Patient Profile, Phnom Penh 2014 Yan Sok Nai “Battambang Baby” Yan Sok Nai is a 3 year old girl from a rural farming community in Battambang. We met her in 2012 when she was a year old and suffering from malnutrition. At 3.5 kg when she first came to the hospital, Sok Nai was severely underweight and did not meet the criteria for surgery. Our team members decided on a plan of action to save her life and hopefully get her on the surgical list for the following year.
Giving the Gift of a Smile….a Lasting Legacy
Unfortunately, in 2014 she developed a palatal fistula and had fluid leaking out of her nose. This happens from time to time as children grows but fortunately our team was on site again this year and ORC again paid for her family to make the few hundred km trip to Phomn Penh. Sok Nai was given the required surgery as well as having her lips revised.
Patient Profile, Phnom Penh 2014
Patient Profile, Phnom Penh 2014
Srey Bhopa “Buddha Boy”
Veng Veneag “Formerly known as Cleft”
Srey Bhopa is a cheery 8 month old with right unilateral cleft lip. Cambodia is a Buddhist country and this baby was abandoned at Wat Phnom, the chief Buddhist temple in the capital city. Fortunately, a loving woman working at the temple found him and subsequently adopted him.
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...his adoptive mother believes he was a gift from Buddha.
Veng is a slender, pretty 12 year old girl with bilateral cleft lip. She dreamt of going to school but was terrified of the stares and taunts from other children. A sad shadow of a girl when she came to the hospital who bravely looked forward to the operation despite all the strangers examining her. We were somewhat puzzled that she appeared quite distressed after the operation. This was when we found out she hated her name. It was “Cleft”. We spoke to her parents, who were not educated
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She dreamt of going to “ school, but was terrified of the stares and taunts..
He was tiny and quiet when he was found and his adoptive mother believed he was a gift from Buddha. She explained proudly to the team that this is why he is so healthy and good-natured. His friendliness and smiles was a magnet to everyone around him.
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people. They explained that the doctor that delivered her gave her that name and they followed the doctor’s lead. Our volunteers spoke to the parents about better alternatives to build her selfesteem. Upon hearing that her parents agreed to change her name when they return to their home village, she immediately brightened up and the team collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Giving the Gift of a Smile….a Lasting Legacy
ORC MEMBER’S OTHER ACTIVITIES
WAYS TO HELP 1. Donate Directly By cheque, on-line via Canada Helps, or by donating securities.
OPERATION RAINBOW CANADA Suite 400 - 601 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC Canada V5Z 4C2 1.888.956.3399 www.OperationRainbowCanada.com info@OperationRainbowCanada.com
Canada Ukraine Foundation Medical Mission, 2014 Photo from left to right: Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn, Elaine Peters, R.N., Dr. Kimit Rai, ,Dolly Khanna, R.N., Roman Waschuk (Canadian Ambassador to the Ukraine), Gary Hanney (Videographer), Val Long, R.N., Dr. David Malm Congratulations to ORC Members (Dr. Rai, Dolly Khanna, Elaine Peters, Gary Hanney, and Val Long) who participated in the humanitarian mission to the Ukraine organized and funded by the Canada Ukraine Foundation. These ORC Members are commended for their volunteerism.
FUTURE MISSIONS Mission to Kaka-Ba Hospital November Nov 18 to Dec 2, 2015 In November, 2015, an ORC team of doctors, nurses, support staff and trainees will be going to the remote tribal area of Hansot in Bharuch District, Gujarat, India. Kaka-Ba hospital is a charitable hospital providing medical services and rural development since 1985. Doreen Lore, R.N., will be the Mission Coordinator for the trip. If you are interested in volunteering or know of someone who does, please contact Doreen (dlore@shaw.ca). There is a lot of work pre-and post our missions, such as fundraising, gathering clothing and toy donations, inventory and packing. Your help would be much appreciated.
Giving the Gift of a Smile‌.a Lasting Legacy
2. Volunteer We are always looking for passionate people to help us with our charity. If you have spare time or a particular skill you would like to share with us, please get in touch! 3. Host a Fundraiser Have a party or event Set a $ goal or admission cost Invite your friends and tell them about ORC Collect the money and donate to ORC Receive a Tax Receipt for your donation 4. Sponsor a Smile: 1 Medication per Surgery - $75.00 1 Surgery - Half $125.00 or Full $250.00 1 Operating Table (10 - 20 surgeries) - $5,000.00 1 Mission (all surgeries & medication) - $65,000.00
SOCIAL MEDIA Stay connected! www.facebook.com/OperationRainbowCanada www.twitter.com/ORCanada
SHOPPING
DONORS
Shop in our Store for Gifts! This is a fabulous way to give the gift of giving! All profits go directly to help a child in need of a surgery, plus you get great products you can give to everyone on your gift list!
Operation Rainbow Canada thanks its supporters for their generous donations towards future programs and missions. ORC is very grateful for the support and fundraising efforts done by its volunteers.
Visit: www.cafepress.ca/orcshopping
Teddy Bears $31.00 Infant Sleepers $32.00 Pajamas $69.00 T-Shirts $22.50 – $65.00 Xmas Stocking $31.00 Clock $26.50 Large Mug $28.50 For full product list please visit the store online:
A partial list of 2014 donors and donors-in-kind: BC Textile Innovations Inc. Borwon Health - Australia Camber Resources Services Canadian Cleft Lip and Palate Family Association Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons Crescent Point Resources Partnership David’s Tea Dr. & Mrs. Ukani Dr. F. Robert Purdy Ltd Dr. Richard C. Chan Encana Corporation Fusion Publishing Good Life Connoisseur Magazine Harbour Centre Dental Health for Humanity Services Society Helena How Hugh Gillard Ideon Packaging Keir Surgical LTA Holidays (Canada) Ltd. McAllister Development Mr. Brian LaChance (Golf fundraiser) Mr. Hugh Gillard Mr. Michael Reinhart (Golf fundraiser) Mr. Thomas Tait Ms. Cassie Faris (Fitness Pageant contestant) Ms. Marinda Dickey NWM Private Giving Foundation October 17 Media Pat Posno Score Four Holdings Ltd Synergy CMC TELUS Corporation The Howard Group Inc. Thomas Land & Contracting Ltd. Timothy Kerr Family Foundation United Way
www.cafepress.ca/orcshopping
Giving the Gift of a Smile….a Lasting Legacy
BOARD OF DIRECTORS • • • • • • • •
Dr. Nazmundin Bhanji Connie Ekelund Al Lane Rose Lane Doreen Lore Rakesh Patel Dr. Kimit Rai Gloria Wong
MISSIONS COMPLETED Operation Rainbow Canada has performed 2,000+ surgeries on 23 missions in various countries so far. ORC missions have trained approximately 22 Plastic Residents, 19 Anesthesia Fellows and 12 Pediatric Residents (the Residents were sponsored by their respective training programs and Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons).
MISSION STATEMENT Children with deformities are almost always alienated from society and restricted in their potential. Children with facial deformities, such as cleft lip and cleft palate, are further marginalized because of the dramatic nature of these abnormalities. Operation Rainbow Canada reaches out internationally by providing reconstructive surgery for these children and by sharing skills with local physicians. Operation Rainbow Canada volunteers, supported by donors, proudly represent Canada and promote understanding of the needs of developing countries.
1998 - Mexico 1999 - Philippines 2000 - Northern Philippines 2001 - El Salvador 2002 - Philippines 2002 - Oaxca, Mexico 2003 - Philippines 2003 - Oaxaca, Mexico 2004 - Chandigarh, India 2004 - Lebanon, Beirut 2005 - Jalandhar, India 2005 - Cambodia 2006 - Philippines 2006 - Cambodia 2007 - Ludhiana, India 2007 - Cambodia 2008 - Cambodia 2009 - Indonesia 2010 - Baru Sahib, India 2010 - Linyi City, China 2011 - Baru Sahib, India 2012 - Cambodia 2013 - Cambodia 2014 - Cambodia Future: 2015 Hansot, Gujarat, India
Charity Registration #866060189RR0001
STAY CONNECTED OPERATION RAINBOW CANADA Suite 400 - 601 West Broadway Vancouver, BC V5Z 4C2 Toll Free: 1.888.956.3399
www.OperationRainbowCanada.com www.facebook.com/OperationRainbowCanada www.twitter.com/ORCanada E-mail: info@OperationRainbowCanada.com
Giving the Gift of a Smile….a Lasting Legacy