Good Morning Angels: Assisting children with facial abnormalities this Mandela Day
A smile is an act of kindness! Good Morning Angels made many more smiles possible for children this Mandela Day!
This Mandela Day, Good Morning Angels is partnering with Smile Foundation to help disadvantaged children living with facial abnormalities like facial paralysis, burns, cleft lips and palates to get an opportunity to smile.
We can think of no more worthy way to create Madiba Magic than to help those who help children smile.
Good Morning Angels: Creating Madiba Magic through smiles
One of these special children is seven-year-old Zaylen Huysamen who was born with Microtia. This means he was born without an outer ear. This week he will get the first of his three surgeries needed to build an outer ear for him.
Last week, we heard how Nelson Mandela himself was the inspiration for the creation of the Smile Foundation, when he answered the call from a concerned mother whose daughter, Thando, was born with facial paralysis. Twenty-three years on, more than 5 000 children have been assisted by the Smile Foundation.
This week, Smile Week is coordinated by Smile Foundation at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Ga’Rankuwa to assist up to 30 children. During this week, surgeons, their assisting surgical teams, other medical professionals and hospital staff will perform these surgeries pro bono.
There are, however, consumables and other service costs to be covered, at an average of R 25 000 per patient. This is what Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels will be raising funds for. We hope to raise enough to cover the 30 Smile Week patients and beyond.
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One of the children who will be assisted during Smile Week is 13-year-old Karabo from Mamelodi. Karabo was born with a cleft lip and palate.
Besides the fact that he looks different from other children, he has difficulty speaking and eating. He has had two operations through the Smile Foundation and will receive his last operation this week to close his cleft palate.
This will help tremendously with his health and development, but also his confidence and yes, it will give him the ability to smile!
Thank you to Spar, who got the ball rolling, as well as all our donors who helped Good Morning Angels raise funds to help 67 children with facial abnormalities get their smile back.
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