The generous spirit at the heart of GSF and the positive impact of making healthy smiles possible for patients born with cleft goes far beyond one individual, or even one family, to reach larger communities.

THE POWER OF A HEALTHY SMILE

FROM THE GLOBAL SMILE FOUNDATION

Diana Ramirez knew that her infant son, Sebastian, needed special help and attention. He was born with a cleft lip and a cleft palate, and she was worried about the subsequent health complications that he would suffer if not given the appropriate care. Like so many parents in the developing world, Diana and her husband Javier live in a distant area of Ecuador with limited access to healthcare and virtually nonexistent cleft care.

Even though cleft is one of the most common birth defects in the world, affecting an estimated 1 in every 700 babies born in developing countries, providers in remote areas are often unfamiliar with the condition and are unable to assist parents with the specialized care their babies require.

Diana and Javier were committed to finding much-needed help for their son. When Sebastian was three months old, they traveled five hours to Dr. Roberto Gilbert Children's Hospital in

Guayaquil, Ecuador to meet the Global Smile Foundation (GSF) team. Unfortunately, they arrived on the last day of the outreach program. Volunteers had already packed up their supplies in preparation to head back to their home countries. The hospital operating rooms were also shut down by the time Sebastian's family had arrived.

Diana had learned about cleft surgery, and she insisted on talking to the GSF team about her son's care. Diana's determination was so emotionally touching and heartwarming that the GSF team relented to her request to evaluate her son. After examining Sebastian, the team reported that he was clear to undergo surgery and unpacked their bags to proceed with the operation.

"You could see it on her face," said Dr. Usama Hamdan, President and Co-Founder of GSF, recalling the moments of that day, "She was so distraught and worried for her son. We knew we had to help him."

In the decade that followed, Sebastian continued to receive comprehensive cleft care, including repair of his cleft lip, repair of his cleft palate, dental treatment, and speech therapy among other services. At every step along the way, Sebastian was under exclusive care of the GSF team, comprised of volunteer medical experts who specialize in cleft care, including surgeons, dentists, pediatricians, anesthesiologists, nurses, speech therapists, and child psychologists. Sebastian and other patients who come to GSF receive long-term care from an interdisciplinary team of