Smiles International

Posted on Mar 23, 2017
 
Rotary’s own hero, Dr. Jeff Moses updated the meeting on the surgical mission at Smiles International. This shows how becoming a Paul Harris Fellow and the Rotary District grants support excellent work.
 
Jeff “Mose” Moses is a past-president of Carlsbad Rotary. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons, and the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. He is also a life member of the American Cleft/Craniofacial Association. He is currently President and Founder of the Smiles International Foundation and the co-founder of the Rotary Thousand Smiles Foundation.
 
After 30 years of academic teaching and clinical practice, Dr. Moses retired, sold his surgery center and continues his Rotary efforts forming a Rotary Medical-Surgical Mission teams.
 
Smiles International Foundation is a USA and international organization that organizes and provides charitable surgical care for underprivileged children who are afflicted with cleft and craniofacial deformities through a team approach for longitudinal care.  This allows excellence in optimal growth and development for the children served.  Also, clinically related education for professionals and volunteers is provided though the Foundation's accredited Continuing Education Symposia. 
 
In less fortunate regions of the world, socio-economic conditions can lead to a delay of these treatments for the child, if corrected at all. This produces children developing with severe deformities more difficult to correct later in life and social out casting of the child. On the average, children with a cleft deformity require approximately 5-7 staged surgeries to reconstruct both oral-facial form and function. 
 
While surgical mission teams have traditionally provided surgical repair of the lip or palate, many stop at this stage of assistance. Without longitudinal treatment planning and opportunities for staged treatment of the other aspects of their deformity, children could then develop with even more complicated deformities, which require more extensive treatments later in life. Speech deformities, deafness, inability to chew foods are only part of the problems these children face.
 
The clinics are dedicated to a longitudinal team approach, with specialists who gather together across international borders. Community support networks provide mission logistics and clinical care is provided to the child throughout their development.
 
The website (link below) has extensive information and pictures. Rotary Members can volunteer and donate via the website.