Autumn/ Winter 2012
Bringing safe, sustainable treatment to children with facial deformities in the developing world
drop, the leaves s temperatures and the year fall from the trees e to end, we take tim approaches its r ankful for anothe reflect and be th rag smiles at Ope busy year of fixin . As always, we tion Smile Ireland ort, r your kind supp are so grateful fo to ue in nt co d us to which has allowe to ns io at nging oper provide life-cha formig from facial de rin children suffe ping world. ties in the develo
A Christmas Certificates ! ile this Christmas Give the gift of a sm a r fo te certifica Order a Christmas at: or af le loved one over /smileshop .ie ile m ns www.operatio th , Thursday 13 When: 7:30pm December , ilip’s Church Where:: St. Ph blin 6 Milltown, Du Temple Road,
overleaf or Tickets: order ls nsmile.ie/caro www.operatio 01 6676659 nsmile.ie info@operatio
ADERSHIP our STUDENT LE roughout the th PROGRAMMES year. adquarters, As our global he International, Operation Smile ARS of creating celebrates 30 YE so proud to look smiles, we are al bration of 10 towards the cele RATION SMILE YEARS OF OPE 13 and we very IRELAND in 20 you will join us in much hope that e me way over th celebrating in so ar. course of the ye
n ntinued to sustai In 2012 we’ve co r dedicated base and develop ou eers and have of medical volunt ICAL COUNCIL convened a MED n pport our missio to recruit and su re co e th are at volunteers, who t e received gran W . do of what we e th r fo D M IRISH AI FUNDING FRO us lp he which will first time in 2012 ls ical professiona ed to train local m er enabling in Ethiopia, furth re of their own them to take ca ild continued to bu children. We’ve ture volunteers our pipeline of fu ICAL STUDENT through our MED red and we’ve nurtu FELLOWSHIPS h ug ro th orters our student supp
d we wish you an In the meantime, ay lid ho e st for th yours all the be look forward to we d season an the th you again in touching base wi New Year. your support. Thank you for Yours Sincerely,
O Teri Cosgrove, CE ile m .ie teri@operations
Fundraising! ena Ahmed, Medical Records volunteer, Zore Smile Ireland gives pride of place to Operation work at
Noel Guilfoyle and family, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, take to the streets.
Jonathan Daly, Clifden, competes in the Ironman 70.3 in Galway
Employees from the Gap store in Arnott’s, Dublin take to the trails at Glendalough!
fore the Flora
m Tipperary be The ladies fro Marathon 2012
Student ProgrAmme uPdAte land OperatiOn Smile ire iS very prOud Of Our Student SuppOrterS en and BOy have they Be Six BuSy Over the laSt mOnthS. SOme recent highlightS...
Women’s Mini
Aoife Conway and Orlagh Hynes (pictured here on medical mission in Ghana) were two of four Irish students selected to travel overseas on Medical Mission in 2012.
y of rs descended on the Universit 60 of our student supporte erence! conf ip ersh lead ent stud ual Limerick in July for our ann
irish aid In 2012 we received funding from the government for the first time through the Irish Aid Civil Society Fund. This funding will help us to train local surgeons in Jimma,
We are so grateful to all the generous donors who make our work possible. We receive donations in many different ways and for many different reasons. Regardless of the amount, the reason for giving or the method of fundraising, every donation makes a difference to a child in the developing world. Thanks to each and every one of you! And here’s a sampling from those of you who sent us pictures...
Ethiopia in cleft repair techniques and will greatly expand the local capacity for the treatment of facial deformities. Watch this space!
Grace Cosgrove (right) was one of four Irish students who travelled to Washington D.C. over the summer to attend the Operation Smile International Student Leadership Conference/ Mission Training Workshop
medical council
O
ctober 1st 2012 marked the inaugural meeting of the Medical Council of Operation Smile Ireland. Chaired by Professor Michael Earley, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, and composed of representatives from each specialty on our medical missions, the Council will provide a valuable support for our volunteers who travel overseas. Among its responsibilities are the recruitment and credentialing of new volunteers and the support of active volunteers of Operation Smile Ireland. It will provide a valuable link between Operation
Medical ge Dublin 012 lle o C y it 2 ly Trin hina, Ju l Flood, iyuan, C Rachae ellow, Ta F t n e d Stu
medical fellow Story The morning Susan from Operation Smile informed me I was the lucky medical student to be selected for the fellowship I was over the moon. A few days after the grim fourth year exams ended I received a phone call asking if I would be ready to head to China in only a couple of weeks time? I was more than happy to swap my elective for the once off life experience of an Operation Smile mission. My visa and travel arrangements were made with military precision in a very tight space of time. Before I knew it, I was on a Boeing 747 to Beijing. 16 hours later I arrived in China. Flying in around the same time was an Australian nurse; it would be her 15th mission. I would soon find I was the only member of the team who was on their first mission. Everyone else who was part of the 40 or so strong team was on at least their second or third. This highlights what an amazing charity Operation Smile is and the importance of the work they do. The vast majority of people who complete a mission realize this and are determined to return again and again. I was envious of the range of t-shirts from previous missions most of the team dawned each day, from various missions and countries. I could only imagine the volume of people globally whose lives had been influenced by what these t-shirts symbolized.
Smile Ireland and the Medical Oversight Committee of Operation Smile International keeping us up to date on all medical developments within the organisation and providing feedback from Irish volunteers. It will advocate the work of Operation Smile among the medical community in Ireland and act as a medical voice for the organisation to the public. Professor Earley will represent the Council on the Board of Directors of Operation Smile Ireland and, on behalf of the Council, advise the Board on all issues pertaining to our mission volunteers and our medical activities in the developing world.
A night in Beijing followed by an early start and a 4-hour train ride south brought us to Taiyuan - a ‘small’ Chinese city population 4 million - nearly the entire population of Ireland! More people… More clefts! We had work to do. The local Chinese officials welcomed us with a dinner where we tasted some of the local cuisine. This was largely delicious although I drew the line at a dish of turtle still in its shell. The next morning bright and early we all arrived at the local hospital and screening day began. Over the course of the day 107 patients were screened. The ages ranged from 6 months to 24 years. I soon learned that many of the families had travelled for days from rural parts of China to meet the team in Taiyuan. Each patient underwent complete examination by anaesthetists, paediatricians, plastic surgeons, dentists and also a speech and language therapist. Each child received the best of care and advice. It was agreed that it would be in the best interest of 85 of those screened to receive surgery. Over the next four days these surgeries were carried out. The whole team worked tirelessly to ensure the best level of care was in place. 85 of the surgeries were completed safely and successfully. The experience of all personnel on the team was clear throughout the mission and the high standards of care remarkable. Before I knew it, it was back to Beijing and back to dreary Dublin in the summer rain. All in all my fellowship experience as part of Operation Smile, Team Taiyuan is a treasured one. It has inspired me to hopefully pursue a career in paediatrics and maybe someday add to my collection of Operation Smile T-shirts.
Sponsored by Tekno Surgical
L-R Dr. Eleanor McGovern, Finola Earley, Paul Sullivan, Dr. David Orr, Ruth Farrell, Professor Triona Sweeney, Professor Michael Earley (Chair)”
volunteer profile –
Professor Denis Gill Paediatrician
Professor Denis Gill is a retired Consultant Paediatrician and Professor of Paediatrics and an enthusiastic Operation Smile Ireland volunteer. He recently travelled to Ethiopia on medical mission, where the Operation Smile team provided full medical screening for 203 patients and life-changing surgeries for 115. He lives in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin with his wife Margaret, has five grown up children and enjoys travel to London, Italy and Australia (where his grandchildren reside). Posts held: Consultant Paediatrician, Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street Former Dean, Faculty of Paediatrics, Royal College of Physicians, Ireland Former President, Confederation of European Specialists in Paediatrics Operation Smile Missions: Morocco, Ethiopia (2012) Kenya (2010) Denis on Operation Smile: “The OS people are glad to give of themselves, their skills, their time. OS works because people choose to do it. Because they are needed. Because the work is rewarding. Because of the engendered team spirit. It seems to me partly altruistic, partly touristic, partly good practice, but mostly caring for children, caring for cleft correction, giving back some of the good and generosity that life has given us. Just a bunch of good people. Working together. For a good cause. Full stop.” Our favourite things about Denis: His way with words and his fabulous snowman tie! For a wonderful report on Denis’s recent mission to Mekele, Ethiopia go to www.operationsmile.ie
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in juSt 45 minuteS and fOr aS little aS €240 we can change a child'S life fOrever. Registered Charity number CHY 15661
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