Access Blogs
How A 'Smile' Can Change A Life
A tremendous night in Guadalajara spent mingling with donors and then dining and having fun at a huge Mariachi restaurant. Different bands, sometimes 25 deep, would take the stage while revelers celebrated. It was loud and fun.
Dr. Bill Magee, the founder of Operation Smile, and a true humanitarian, showed us you can help serve the global community, and still be the life of the party.
We are up early and heading back to the hospital to check in on our overnight patients. I followed two boys through the whole process, from beginning to end. Oscar and Juan...both babies.
What is amazing is how quickly I bonded with them and how excited I am to see them.
Twenty minutes later...
I just saw my boys, Oscar and Juan. They are complete. Their parents are so happy. I told both moms, Guadalupé and Mariza, that their boys are beautiful BUT that they were beautiful before too. I sincerely mean that. These precious little babies glow from within...
My heart has been moved. These women have allowed me passage to their babies. That means more than anything.... that trust is very special.
I told them to send me a letter when they fellas get married. The truth is, now they will. (Crying again)
For more information, visit OperationSmile.org
Wonderful stories, thanks for sharing. I can see why you were so moved.
Dear Billy:
I think it is awesome that you are willing to help out children that have been born with a Clep Palat. I myself have a niece and a nephew that have been born with the disease. My niece's was born with 2 bilateral clep palat's and I see how it will effect her as she gets older. She is now in 2nd grade and is asking questions, about why she looks different from other little girls.
Thanks so much for your work
Tina D'Antonio
hello billy I am karina sister of mariza of guadalajara Oscar breast lion thanks to have that enormous heart and to support this foundation that makes feliices to many children and families my sister it does not let platicar and I want agradecerte to be with the Mexican community an enormous hug
Dear Billy,
Thank you for sharing your documentarty about the 2 childeren in Mexico. I can tell you first hand how it feels to see something like that because my son (Hunter) was born with a upper cleft lip and pallet. At age of 3 months Dr. Lawarence and his staff (KU Medical Center in Kansas City) perfomed Hunter's first surgery of closing the lip. At 11 months, he had his pallet done. It was so hard to see a different smile after the first surgery because i was so used to seeing the one he was born with. Hunter still has a awesome smile i like to see every day. (Thanks you Dr. Lawarence and to your wonderful staff)
Just to remind people that cleft lips and pallets are not a disease,its a birth defect. It could be genetic, lack of Vitamin A during preganacy or various of things. Here are sites that people need to read for information understanding Cleft lip and pallets,my wife and I did. Wide Smile
http://widesmiles.org/, World Craniofacial Foundation: http://www.worldcf.org/
Thank you Billy for doing the documentary. Now spread the word to everyone around the world so every parent can understand.
Thank you,
Arnie
PS. Tina D'Anotnio,your niece is never to young or too old to have the surgery. Talk to a local specialist to have it set up.
Hello Billy. I was deaply moved by this story. I am a mother to a 10 mth baby boy, who was born with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate,(one sided). I definitlly relived the moment of seeing my preciouse baby right after lip repair.. It brought tear's to my eye's.. That was a great video.. I wish all the best to both the family's involved..
Billy you made my heart sing with your video on Access today. After weeks and months of blonde trainwrecks there was something so pure and bright to celebrate! Thanks for putting another face on the evening..a precious little person who now has a wonderful future....how refreshing after all of the other news. Kudos for a great story and introducing a great cause and a way for many to give back... smiles all around!
Jolie's mom
I met Dr. Bill Magee many years ago when he first joined a group of plastic surgeons in Norfolk, Virginia. I worked as an interior designer in Norfolk and my company was contacted to meet with Dr. Magee and staff to decorate his offices in the practice. After all business was concluded, I remember thinking what simple, spare things he decided on for his offices. He was a modest, kind man then......and as I have followed his life over the years and seen the huge difference he makes in the lives of the people he touches, he is the same modest, kind and giving person I met years ago. I salute you Dr. Magee, your wife and the others who travel with you to make such a difference in the world.
With genuine respect,
Anne Hovis Billingsley
Dear Billy,
I just have to say thank you so much for putting this all on the TV. My 3 month old has her first surgery to repair her lip and part of her nose on nov 12 at Childrens Hosp. it Cincinnati. She was born with a cleft lip(bilateral) and pallet. She also has something called Binder Syndrome. Seeing these little boys after their surgery helped me alot. Alot of people have said their child has had the surgery but i have not seen any children with the surgery. Also I've been scared, very scared of how bad it will be after the surgery! Thank you so much and please thank the doctors who are helping alot of little kids all over the place. This is truely a blessing! Thank you for showing people this organization and what they do! thank you for giving me a little more hope. My daughter is beautiful just the way she is but i know it would be hard if the surgeries were not done. She is strong and has alot to go through! She will be beautiful no matter what! Thanks again! I think i can cry this time and ill cry more after my daughters surgury! But I'm happy! For everyone!
Kelli Atkinson
Hi Billy,
I have a 12 week old son that was born with a cleft lip and palate, he is getting his lip fixed on monday. To see this story gave me a lot of hope. I have been very worried and scared to have my child go through this. I think it is great that you all are sheading light on this issue. Thank you so much for being apart of operation smile!!
Also, a lady says here on your comment page it is a disease and I would just like to say it is not a disease!
Billy,
Your reporting on Operation Smile was outstanding! It had me in tears of happiness for the children and their parents, and the wonderful compassion shown by you. Good job!
Hi Billy. I just wanted to say thank you for the story on Operation Smile's trip to Mexico. I myself have a bilateral cleft lip so I was moved by not only the footage of Jessica Simpson's comments at the event prior but also by the footage you shared from the trip.
The fact that it moved you the way it did goes a long way towards people understanding that as clefts, we may be physically different but...we're still people. We're still human. Thank you again for sharing your experience with everyone.
Hi Billy, i am a mexican guy, who is tears out just looking at your video, that is such an amazing job that operation smile is doing, for my people in mexico, thank you sooo much for being part of this.. cheers from san francisco, CA
iam a 26 year old female and i am 6 months pregnant i just found out my child has been daignosed with cleft lip and pallet.i am just trying to prepare for this and find out as much as i can about this. thank you.