Every Child Deserves to Smile
Children in Latin America are more likely to be born with a cleft lip or palate than those in the United States. Families find hope in the caring hands of Sharing Smiles volunteers who perform free corrective surgeries and rehabilitation therapy while equipping local caregivers with the tools and knowledge they need to ensure the smiles last.
Sharing Smiles surgical teams—comprised of skilled cleft surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, technicians and other volunteers—travel thousands of miles to provide reconstructive surgery to children in need. We work in cities where we can create partnerships with local public health institutions and private sector leadership to help each child receive comprehensive care long after their surgery.
Smile Stories: Yoselin
In September 2013, Yoselin’s cleft lip surgery was amongst 22 received by children during the trip. Yoselin’s care continues today with our local partners at the clinic for speech therapy, orthodontics, and psychology.
Mission Spotlight
Mexico
Sharing Smiles established its first partnerships in Merida, Mexico in 1999, where we aimed to provide care to all of the children with cleft lips/palates in the Yucatan. We have made over 18 trips since then and transformed over 1,000 lives.
Peru
In 2010, Sharing Smiles established a new partner site to repair cleft lip and palates in Tarapoto, Peru. Since entering this community, over 175 children’s lives have been transformed by receiving cleft lip and palate surgery.
Bolivia
Cochabamba, Bolivia is the newest Sharing Smiles partner site. Since 2016, our medical volunteers have helped change the lives of over 175 children in need. Families travel from all over the country to get treatment from the highly trained local doctor and Sharing Smiles volunteers.