InternationalWorld renowned doctors to perform 50 life-changing surgeries in Armenia this week
Cafesjian Family Foundation takes the lead in organizing Smile Network mission to Armenia
Published: Tuesday October 07, 2008
Dr. Les Mohler. Marc Ascher
Dr. Les Mohler. Marc Ascher
Yerevan - Every morning, four-year-old Gayane cries and begs not to be taken to school. She covers her mouth so that people don't see her lips. But they do, and they often react.
Gayane was born with a cleft lip - a genetic defect also known as cheiloschisis. In Armenia, they still call it a "harelip," a pejorative other cultures and nations have already retired from their languages.
No matter what it's called or the age in which we live, people on the streets here often stare at Gayane. Kids at school don't want to be around her. Some classmates make snide remarks. Others tease and bully her. Some adults here think of the split in her lip as a curse or a sign that she is mentally disabled.
Unfortunately, Gayane's story is not unique; but this weekend, Gayane tortured life will change forever thanks to a team of volunteer specialists from the United States participating in the first Smile Project mission in Armenia.
More than a dozen doctors, nurses, and other specialists will be in Yerevan to examine 250 patients with either a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both. Fifty of these patients will undergo surgery between Monday, October 6, and Friday, October 10.
"The two surgeons leading the team are both renowned cleft surgeons," said Madlene Minnasian, director of the Smile Project. "One is Dr. Les Mohler, and the second is Dr. Samir Mardini. They call him Magic Hands. We're very lucky to have world-renowned surgeons come to this mission."
Project Smile
Project Smile was initiated by the Cafesjian Family Foundation, Hope for the City, and the Smile Network - which leads similar projects around the world. The three Minneapolis-based organizations have come together to address cleft-care needs in Armenia.
In addition, Project Smile will give the local medical community a chance to listen to world authorities on cleft care through lectures. Local physicians and nurses will also shadow the guests and learn by observing their American counterparts.
"Coming to Armenia are expert anesthesiologists, pediatricians, operating room nurses, ward nurses, medical recordkeepers, and a host of nonclinical volunteers," said Ms. Minassian. "It's a very good group of 19 volunteers, one of which is of Armenian heritage. He's second or third generation Armenian, Dr. Robert Chantigian, anesthesiologist."
It's estimated that one in 700-1000 kids are born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, both considered the most common birth defects in the world. While there are no thorough statistics of how cleft lip and cleft palate have been successfully treated in Armenia, the need for surgical intervention became obvious when Cafesjian Family Foundation board member Megan Doyle came to Armenia for a fact-finding mission last November with Kim Valentini, the founder of the Smile Network.
"The Smile Network has been operating all over the world for many years," said Ms. Minassian. "They reach out to the international community, and if they find a need for cleft care in any country, they begin their work. Through the generosity and coordination of Hope for the City and its founder Megan Doyle, we were able to meet Kim Valentini, who is founder of the Smile Network. It was wonderful to host Megan and Kim in Armenia. The passion and love they have for children all over the world is inspirational and exemplary."
Megan and Dennis Doyle established Hope for the City eight years ago to help fight poverty, hunger, and disease around the world by utilizing corporate surplus. The couple's organization has brought more than $40 million in medical equipment, supplies, and medication to Armenia over the past few years and was instrumental in bringing the Smile Network to Armenia.
"Mrs. Doyle came to oversee and visit her projects in Armenia, and she brought Mrs. Valentini with her," said Ms. Minassian. "The visit helped determine that there was a need for cleft care in Armenia, even though we have experienced, competent, very professional maxillo-facial surgeons here. The problem was in the ability for the patient to pay for the care and access to surgery."
The government of the Republic of Armenia tells the Armenian Reporter that it offers a $700 stipend for children under seven in need of reconstructive cleft-lip or cleft-palate surgeries, which are estimated to cost around $2,000 in Armenia and upwards of $10,000 if performed in the United States. One local surgeon says that the government subsidy does not cover costs for surgery, and the families are asked to pay the difference.
Preparing for the mission
During Mrs. Doyle's and Mrs. Valentini's trip to Armenia last November, the Smile Project was able to secure the support of Armenia's Ministry of Health.
"We met with many different institutions in order to do a search to find a partner," said Ms. Minassian, "and we found our partner in the Arabkir Medical Center, which is run by Dr. Ara Babloyan. It's a privately owned and the largest pediatrics hospital in Armenia. Dr. Babloyan is a very capable, brilliant person."
The Smile Project also partnered with the Health ministry's Mother and Child Department, which was able to tap into public records and its regional polyclinics and provide a list of hundreds of children born with cleft conditions since 1988.
"The lists were pretty extensive, and we tried to target younger children that we thought would have not been operated on," said Ms. Minassian. "The lists did not indicate whether these children had had surgery. We just had statistics of the birth defects."
