As many as 24 children, who were born with cleft palates and cleft lips, will finally receive the smile of their lifetime in the Capital.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) will host Operation Smile UAE on August 10 and 11, offering transformative surgery for young people with cleft lip and cleft palate conditions.
The hospital will make operating rooms available to the charity's medical volunteers, along with food and other supplies. Moreover, hundreds of caregivers from the hospital, including Emiratis and expats, have volunteered to support the programme by giving their time to help the patients.
In July 2017, the clinic hosted 20 children and young adults as part of its first collaboration with the charity. The foundation has been arranging cleft palate and cleft lip surgeries around the world since it started in 1982.
Dr Mahdi Shkoukani, staff physician, otolaryngology (ENT), Surgical Subspecialties Institute, told Khaleej Times that healthcare should be available when and where the patient need it.
"There are a lot of unfortunate kids in the UAE who don't have a decent health insurance to cover their treatments. "Cleft palates and cleft lips are a life-long process - sometimes the patients need multiple surgeries throughout their lives."
He pointed out that around 40 people from across the country have already registered to have the free surgery. "We even have people coming in from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah."
The group of patients who will have their surgeries this weekend include a six-month-old and young adults in their 20s.
Dr Shkoukani said the prevalence of cleft palates and cleft lips in the UAE is about four in every 10,000, and the condition is often related to genetic connections.
"Cleft palates are more common among females, whereas the cleft lip and palate are more common among males."
He stressed that the complexity of the surgeries vary from case to case, adding that the initiative is part of a humanitarian charity, which will not cost any money for the families.
Abeer Al Blooshi, an Emirati volunteer and senior clinical director at Surgical and Transplant Institute, told Khaleej Times that this weekend will be her second time taking part in the charity initiative.
"This is my second year participating in the Operation Smile initiative and it is a great honour that I am able to contribute to such life-changing procedures. "As a mother of four children, I can relate to the parents of all the young patients with cleft lips and cleft palate conditions."
She stressed that having to deal with the challenges of the condition, such as speech and feeding difficulties, is beyond distressing for a parent. "This initiative is truly valuable and I am looking forward to turning more lives around with the support of all the volunteers and everyone else involved."
Morag Cromey-Hawke, an Operation Smile representative, urged members of the community to get involved. "As a supporter, you can help Operation Smile provide access to safe surgery and exceptional medical care to kids around the world."
She pointed out that the charity depends on student programmes, where young leaders help to build awareness and educate others.
Operation Smile UAE was established in January 2011 under the patronage of Sheikha Aljazia bint Saif Al Nahyan, wife of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and works to provide cleft lip and cleft palate repair surgeries for children and adults all over the world.
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