Internationally, all surgeries pending at Smile Foundation were postponed to ensure patients safety and enable hospitals to efficiently respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Smile Foundation would like the public to acknowledge the growing backlog of kids in immediate need of life-changing surgeries as soon as it is considered safe for them to go ahead, so South Africans are encouraged to support the Foundation in helping to provide much-needed care to patients and their families.
Hedly Lewis, the CEO of Smile Foundation said that a number of children supported by the foundation are awaiting surgery at different hospitals across SA.
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Lewis said, “The reconstructive surgery needed to help the waiting children does not only put hundreds of children at a disadvantage, but the costs will go up to thousands of Rands to try to catch up to the pre-COVID levels of service.
“Unfortunately, this situation is beyond everyone’s control and as the country hits its peak of the COVID-19 virus, it is not clear when elective surgeries will be permitted.”
To help ease the backlogs and for Smile Foundation to proceed to provide urgent help to these children in urgent need and their families, the public is urged to take part in helping them smile.
The foundation has developed a raffle where people’s names will be entered into a draw for an opportunity to win R100 000.
The postponement of surgeries has had a big psychological impact on the patients as well as their families and in a number of cases, could have long term effects on the child patients, like Rhiaadra, the 2-year-old who was diagnosed with Aperts Syndrome. Aperts Syndrome is a genetic disorder that involves the skull, the face, and both hands and feet.
Not only does the Syndrome produce cosmetic deformity that makes children very self-conscious and can lead to significant emotional distress, but the pressure on the developing brain leads to clinical symptoms like chronic headaches and can disrupt intellectual development.
Rhiaadra’s surgery was supposed to take place on June 2 this year, purpose to make more space for her brain to protect her eyes because there is currently no protection because of the shape of her skull.
The surgery was provisionally rescheduled for September this year and the raffle draw date is on world Smile Day, Friday, October 2.
People can visit www.smilefoundation.co.za
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