Website updated - May 1, 2007

SMILE CHINA TEAM IS HOME!

I would like to report to you that the Smile China team has successfully completed our 2007 mission in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

The team has landed home safely on April 27.

In this mission, we have successfully completed the repairs for 100 children with cleft lips and palate deformities.

These children were chosen with strict criteria based on their family income, place of residence and age.

To our surprise, in a 3 day period of registration ( thanks to the PR from People's Daily, China Daily, and TVs, patients came from all over China ), over 400 underprivileged kids who registered fit the criteria. We could only pick the first 100. We are hoping that we would be able to help the remaining 300 in the future.

The Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital we worked at is a first rate hospital. We were extremely pleased with their preparation and organization ( they have mobilized a team of 150 people to help the mission ). The follow-up of these patients will be done at the same hospital with their doctors and the presence of our representative in China, May Siu, in August 8, 07 ( a date easy for the Chinese to remember ).

All the teammates, including the self-funded volunteers ( Sherman Xu, Jeffrey Wu, Benny Wu, Dr. Gaye Quan and Dr. Camila Vaz ) and self-funded resident doctors (Dr. Amir Rafii, Dr. Abraham Sorom and Dr. Lucy Barr ) all had a great time. They have all contributed immensely to the success of the mission.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone of you for your continual support of Smile China. Without your support, mission like this one would not have been a reality.

With warmest regards,

Joseph K. Wong, M.D.,F.R.C.S.(C).
Founder, Smile China

A MOVING SPONTANEOUS DONATION CAMPAIGN IN SCHOOLS FROM A TEACHER IN CHINA

Click for detail (Chinese)

60 NEW SMILES READY TO GREET THE NEW YEAR!

It is our pleasure to report to you that the mission in October 2006 was very successful. We were invited to the Number One People’s Hospital of Yancheng, Jiangsu and there our team performed 75 procedures on sixty children to correct cleft lip and palate deformities. Most of these cases were complex problems on older patients, and several were cases that were rejected from local and regional programs.

The Smile China team not only helped these children with severe facial deformities with a second chance in life; they also provided an educational platform for the local surgeons to be able to provide surgical expertise and guidance on advanced cases.

A Few Words About the Smile China Project

In Canada, the repair of the congenital deformity of cleft lip and palate is commenced during infancy. It is a multidisciplinary treatment involving surgeons, speech pathologists, orthodontists, and others. There are places in the world where patients with this deformity are not treated promptly due to financial reasons or lack of training of local surgeons. Rural China is one of these places.

I feel compelled to help by extending knowledge, skills and medical equipment to treat those children who are not as fortunate as us. I've led the Smile China medical team to the most remote parts of China. The experience was unforgettable. So many children's lives were forever changed and improved. The local surgeons were so eager to learn modern medical techniques. Still, there are so many that need to be helped.

I sincerely hope that you will be interested in knowing more about Smile China and how you can help.