Smile Train is a charity (慈善团体) that helps the millions of children around the world, who suffer from a facial defect (缺陷). The defect happens when a baby's top lip or mouth doesn't form properly before birth. Eating and drinking is very difficult for these babies. The charity provides free operations, which give these children a new smile, and with it, new hope and a new beginning.
Children with the defect need all the help. Although many sufferers are accepted by their families, sadly, others are not. In some countries, children with this defect are often abandoned at birth because their parents feel ashamed of them or cannot afford the operations. The good news is that the operation is not difficult. It takes less than an hour and costs the family nothing. The charity raises money and finds the right medical volunteers to perform the operations.
A Smile Train doctor from the UK said, "Each child who has the operation is given a second chance at life. After years of staying at home, the children can finally go to school and be happy. Every year I perform hundreds of operations free of cost through Smile Train. Some of the stories I have heard are quite surprising. One newborn baby girl was found abandoned on a train. Luckily for her, she was found and adopted (收养) by a passenger. This lady then heard about Smile Train and brought the baby to our hospital. I did the operation and gave hope to the family. Experienced doctors like me share our skills with local doctors. In this way we make sure that these operations will always be available."
