Smile Foundation helps children who need reconstructive surgeries, alleviating backlogs in Academic Hospitals, encouraging Academic skills transfer, providing psychological help before, during and post-surgery, and supporting needs identified within the hospital infrastructure.
These surgeries are aimed at significantly improving the children’s lives.
Thapelo Mofurutse was among the children operated on, he is almost a year old.
He was born with a Cleft Lip and Palate, facial and oral malformations that occur very early in pregnancy whilst the baby is in utero.
“I was quite puzzled when immediately after giving birth, my baby was taken to ICU, I got scared as I didn’t know what was happening,” said Thapelo’s mother, Dimakatso.
Dimakatso said, “The nurses and doctors were so helpful, they explained the situation to me before I could see my son.
“For me it was easy because I had known about cleft lips before but I had no idea there was a Cleft Palate, I only knew about a cleft lips.”
“Initially it was hard for me to tell my family about Thapelo, thinking how they will react but I told my mom.
“She said to me every child is a gift no matter their condition.
“So I think the way I loved my baby made everyone love him.
“I treat him like every child and even when other people would get terrified and be negative towards his condition,” Dimakatso said.
“I realised that people still need more knowledge about cleft lip and palate and that a baby born with a cleft lip or cleft palate can live a normal life.”
Helen Joubert, market leader for Wrigley South Africa, said, “We are excited that we can partner with the Smile Foundation which shares our values for commitment to sustainable social development in the community in which we operate.
“Orbit Sugar-free chewing gum is Wrigley’s oral care brand and this partnership with Smile Foundation has been phenomenal in restoring smiles to children.
“Our decision to partner with the Smile Foundation supports our principle of mutuality, which in essence is sharing our benefits with our stakeholders.”
During the Wrigley Smile Surgeries, Wrigley employees were given the opportunity to be a part of these life-changing experiences and interact with the families that have benefited from this rewarding partnership.
Hedley Lewis, executive director at the Smile Foundation said, “Our partnership with Wrigley’s Orbit is growing from strength to strength.
“Since 2007, over 1 500 children countrywide have benefited from similar surgeries through the Smile Week model.
“The families are very grateful for these surgeries because they help their children deal with vulnerability, isolation and often bullying as a result of their conditions.”
