For over a decade MMFC has been sending cleft, microtia, and dental teams to the Obras Sociales Hermano Pedro hospital in Antigua, Guatemala. The high demand for cleft surgeries in Guatemala has generated the need for MMFC to return not once, but twice a year. The January mission is the first of the two, and also MMFC’s largest team. With 26 volunteers – cleft and microtia surgeons, anesthesiologists, OR and PACU nurses, dentists, speech therapists, and administrators – coming from all over the United States, the team was prepared for a busy week.
On Sunday, screening day, over 100 patients were screened by the surgical and dental teams, including 16 handicapped residents of the Hermano Pedro Orphanage.
By the end of the day Friday, MMFC had completed 70 cleft and microtia surgeries, provided dental care to 82 patients, and given 62 speech therapy sessions. Many residents were away with family for the holidays; they will be eligible to receive free dental care when Dr. Charles Badaoui returns with MMFC’s second Guatemala team in June of this year.
Here are just a few of those who received life-changing surgeries this time…
MMFC thanks the Lefkofsky Family Foundation for its generous sponsorship of this mission.
