The Smile Initiative
Donation protected
My name is
Katelyn Edwards, a sophomore at the University of Tampa, and hey, I love to
smile. So does my little brother Spencer. However, born with a cleft lip and
palate, Spencer was physiologically unable to smile, speak, or eat properly.
Fortunately, my family was able to afford the expensive surgeries my brother's
cleft necessitated. But many aren't so lucky.
In developing countries, children with unrepaired clefts are ostracized from society, suffering a life of shame and isolation. In Uganda, for instance, a child born with a cleft is given the name "Ajok," which literally translates to "cursed by God"; the new born is either killed immediately or left out to die. Parents fail to realize that a simple surgery could easily correct such a birth defect, or they are too poor to afford it. That's where the Smile Train comes in: the nonprofit organization trains local surgeons across the globe to give cleft lip surgeries to children for free.
That's a lot of free smiles, people.
This July, I plan to travel to the Ghana, where every 1 in every 700 children is born with a cleft, to volunteer alongside cleft surgeons at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, a partner of Smile Train, in Kumasi, Ghana. There, I will be blogging for the Smile Train website, capturing the physical transformations of these anomalous children, both in words and in photography. Through my experience, I plan to shed light on a humanitarian cause that is universally under-recognized, in the hopes of raising even more money for those in need.
I am hoping to raise a total of $10,000, to help cover the costs of my travels (i.e. airfare, immunizations, travel insurance, tourist visa, food, housing, etc.) and to raise as much money as possible for Smile Train surgeries. $250 translates to one cleft surgery, one changed life, one new smile!
Please help support my travels and support those who aren't blessed with a proper smile. Say yes to my Smile Initiative- because we can change the world, one smile at a time!
Watch my interview with CBS Channel 10 Tampa News!
http://ybor.wtsp.com/news/news/350702-ut-student-strives-help-people-smile
In developing countries, children with unrepaired clefts are ostracized from society, suffering a life of shame and isolation. In Uganda, for instance, a child born with a cleft is given the name "Ajok," which literally translates to "cursed by God"; the new born is either killed immediately or left out to die. Parents fail to realize that a simple surgery could easily correct such a birth defect, or they are too poor to afford it. That's where the Smile Train comes in: the nonprofit organization trains local surgeons across the globe to give cleft lip surgeries to children for free.
That's a lot of free smiles, people.
This July, I plan to travel to the Ghana, where every 1 in every 700 children is born with a cleft, to volunteer alongside cleft surgeons at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, a partner of Smile Train, in Kumasi, Ghana. There, I will be blogging for the Smile Train website, capturing the physical transformations of these anomalous children, both in words and in photography. Through my experience, I plan to shed light on a humanitarian cause that is universally under-recognized, in the hopes of raising even more money for those in need.
I am hoping to raise a total of $10,000, to help cover the costs of my travels (i.e. airfare, immunizations, travel insurance, tourist visa, food, housing, etc.) and to raise as much money as possible for Smile Train surgeries. $250 translates to one cleft surgery, one changed life, one new smile!
Please help support my travels and support those who aren't blessed with a proper smile. Say yes to my Smile Initiative- because we can change the world, one smile at a time!
Watch my interview with CBS Channel 10 Tampa News!
http://ybor.wtsp.com/news/news/350702-ut-student-strives-help-people-smile
Organizer
Katelyn Edwards
Organizer
Winter Springs, FL