HOPE FULFILLED

American cleft palate surgeons to visit Zimbabwe again

Baby George before the operation	Baby George- three days after the operation

There is hope for children who suffer from cleft palates and lips in Zimbabwe. Operation of Hope, which completed a marathon of hope for the first time ever in Zimbabwe in October 2006 at the Harare Central’s Hospital’s Children’s Ward has already set the dates for their return mission to Zimbabwe beginning screening for surgeries on October 7, 2007.

“In all the years we have done this work, Zimbabweans have been the most welcoming group of people. Usually we climb a mountain to get things processed but this has been very seamless. It was an easy decision to come back,” says Dr. Joseph Clawson team leader and founder of Operation of Hope.

The mission of Operation of Hope has been to perform facial surgeries on poor children born with cleft palates and lips to correct this deformity and to restore not only their ability to eat and articulate words but self-esteem and a smile.

No-one can know the personal anxiety of a mother hoping for a brighter future for their child than they can give. The desire to change their children’s circumstances saw numerous parents visit the Harare Hospital Children’s Ward and dare to hope against all odds that their children would receive the corrective surgery for cleft lips and palates. 

When Busi, mother of two-year-old Lucy saw a news item about the Operation of Hope team from United States of America (U.S.A) coming to Zimbabwe, she realized that she had the chance to help her daughter. Lucy was born with a cleft lip, a genetically disposed condition that creates an opening in the upper lip between the mouth and nose.

‘I had never seen anyone with this deformity and seeing my child for the first time made me feel helpless. I did not know where it came from and why it happened to my child. I was anxious to minimize the ridicule that I knew she would have to face throughout her life.’ 

‘When I heard that this team of specialist surgeons would be available to do this operation, I knew I had to try and get my child there to see them’. Traveling 48 hours from her rural home became minor to quench her anticipation of a heavily subsidized miracle for her child. 

“Busi’s daughter was part of the final three candidates chosen for the surgery, after we added an extra day to operate more children than had previously been scheduled.’ recalls Jennifer Trubenbach, the Operation of Hope Programme Director, who manages the initial screening of candidates for surgery. ‘We would never have known how far she had traveled if she had not been chosen. It makes it all worthwhile to see her optimism satisfied.’ 

Celebration Ministries and the Ministry of Health, as a result of their interaction with a relief agency Global Assistance, facilitated their mission to Zimbabwe.

‘It took 6 months of preparation and ensuring that all the necessary equipment and personnel were ready’ stated Dr Clawson. Operation of Hope brought a team of 3 highly qualified, Board certified (American Medical Association) surgeons, and support staff.

Local doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, and medical assistants supported them and had an opportunity to learn reconstructive surgery techniques from the team’s experiences. ‘We have been traveling to South America for the past 17 years, operating on more children in a week, than any practice in America would in a year. Besides learning how to operate in difficult conditions and different cultures, the experience gleaned by the surgeons is invaluable to their career growth.’

Dr. Clawson, who is an experienced reconstructive surgeon, started Operation of Hope soon after his retirement from medical practice, re-engaging in a long-abandoned desire from his childhood to help.

That Operation Hope has found its way to bring hope to potentially thousands in Africa ‘is a good development and we hope to keep coming back for as long as there is cooperation and need’.