MBOMBELA – Being born with a cleft palate resulted in a great deal of heartache throughout her life, but these days she can be seen with a dashing smile thanks to a simple operation.
In September the Department of Health is bringing that same joy to 100 people in South Africa with Operation Smile.
Hazel du Bruyn was only three months old when she had the first operation to correct her severely cleft palate. After that, she had to wait until she was 16 for the next procedure.
“My parents had to put me in a private school because the children in public school taunted me too much.”
Since then she has had countless surgeries on her face, but the hole in her palate could still not be fixed.
“I could never go to dinner with friends out of fear that food might enter the hole and come out my nose. This happened very often and it broke my self-confidence.”
In 2009 her sister heard of Operation Smile South Africa (Ossa) and told her to apply to get free surgery. “I was there, in my scrubs, ready to go into theatre when I broke down.
“I told my sister and my dentist that I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t afford the dentures I would have had to get once the surgery was done. That’s when my dentist said he would do my dentures for free if he could be allowed to watch the surgery.”
Today, at the age of 68, Hazel has a small scar on the left of her top lip – a small reminder of the heartache which is now something of the past.
She can eat, speak and breathe with ease, feats which were almost impossible before the operation.
“I can’t begin to describe how Ossa has changed my life. The doctors were fantastic and they treated everyone, even the crying babies, with respect and professionalism.”
In September, Ossa and the Department of Health will be heading to Rob Ferreira to perform 100 free surgeries to correct the cleft palates and lips of those who cannot afford the simple surgery.
“The project keeps growing and the doctors and organisers are doing fantastic work,” said Ossa programme coordinator Itumeleng Ramano.
“Most of the children need the surgery to survive, but their parents can’t afford it. That is what makes this project so magical.”
For more information on Ossa and to find out how to qualify for the surgery, visit https://southafrica.operationsmile.org
Help Ossa help South Africa. To ease the health professionals with their remarkable work, the organisation needs the following items:
• Blankets for patients’ shelter
• Hand-held mirrors
• Soap, hand sanitisers
• Refuse bags, small Ziplock bags
• Bleach, toilet paper
• Twenty wide, round buckets
• Large cooking pots
• Serving utensils
• Lunches for the team
• Snacks for the team
• Juice and cups
• Non-perishable food items (rice, samp or beans)
• Yoghurt
• Powdered milk
• Fruit or snacks for patients
• Nappies
• Cold drinks and soda
• AA batteries
• Water
• Packing tape for the last day of the project
• Tea, coffee and sugar
• Photo frames
• Baby food and formula
• Liquid or oral antibiotics and insect repellent.
