Faces of Tomorrow

2010 Mission

Mission Accomplished

Hector with our social worker Miriam

Faces of Tomorrow's second mission was a huge success. We had a few bumps in the begining with our team falling ill, still everyone fought hard to work through the exhaustion and vowed to complete the mission.

In total, we performed surgeries on 50 patients, with 60 total surgical procedures performed.  (Some patitents were able to get two procedures done in a single surgery). 
In addition, our dental team saw well over 50 patients, peformed 15 filings, 8 extractions, several orthodontal procedures, and they also created and distributed 21 obturators. Obturators are similar to retainers,but their purpose is to plug small holes in the palate that may be inoperable, allowing the patient better speech, as well as keeping food or liquids from coming out through the nose.

We met so many wonderful Ecuadorian families and fell in love with the Ecuadorian children. We heard many heart wrenching stories and had many emotional moments. All of which touched our team deeply and motivated us to continue mission work into 2011 and many years in the future This blog entry by Dr. Albin Leong our Pulominologist gives a sense of the overall mission, the dedication of our team and the wonderful people of Ecuador.

Our dentist Dr. Aslani evaluating a young patient

"This week has been an intense journey of stories of human despair, caused by a congenital facial abnormalities. transformed into hope.  Seven-year-old Francisco and mother travelling 10 hours by bus hoping to repair his cleft lip deformity.  Young adults like Vernonica, Maria, and Manuel hoping to correct lip and nose deformities in order that they might literally better face the world.  Yet another of 5 year-old Paolo, whose parents were told at birth that he would not live more than a week due to his cleft lip and palate deformities, a story repeatedly told by many of the other parents during this week.  Paolo´s parents were later told they he would not have normal intelligence due to his cleft lip and palate deformities.  His parents heard yet another professional opinion that his cleft deformities were a cause of his small penis (his penis is normal for his age).  He was so brave and had a remarkably quick recovery after his latest surgery.  Paolo is a bright, playful, cute young boy, who loves posing for a camera!  Five-year-old Jesus whose father literally ran away from the hospital upon seeing his son at birth, not believing that this newborn with the deformity could be his child.  His father, a very religious man, apparently had an epiphany or vision, depending on the interpretation, turned around and returned to the hospital, accepting and vowing to help his son as best that he could.

Young Juon being evaluated by our speech pathologist Sarah

There are so many stories of despair and poverty we have heard told with so many tears.  We have felt the intensity this week of so many hopeful faces of families of infants to young adults with cleft lip, cleft palate and associated nasal deformities.  We have been moved by the expressions of apprehension and concern leading up to their surgeries followed by the feelings of relief when the surgeries are successfully completed.  We have cared for them during their emotional and physical exhaustion in the difficult hours after surgery.  We are uplifted and deeply touched by the outpouring of profound gratitude from the patients and their families with faces and lives now literally transformed, now more hopeful for a better tomorrow".

To learn more about Tierra Nueva Hospital please click here

Our surgical resident Dr. Kim with a young patient

Gabriella being reunited with her mom after surgerey

Dr. Rubinstein and Dr. Pahlavan operating

Dr. Rubinstein with a young patient after surgery

Special thanks to Smile Train and Global Healing for their financial support and mentoring.