The Smile Foundation/Adcock-Ingram Smile Week at Universitas Hospital in September
September 23, 2010, MIDRAND: Adcock Ingram and The Smile Foundation have entered into a partnership to provide twenty children with life-changing surgery at Bloemfontein’s Universitas Hospital during the Smile Week Campaign this year. The cleft lip and palate surgical procedures were performed at the hospital theatres from 13 – 17 September 2010. This was the first time that Adcock Ingram partnerered with the Smile Foundation to change the lives of children with facial and other anomalies.
Bloem Smile Week
Adcock Ingram CEO, Dr Jonathan Louw said their involvement with this campaign came as a natural fit to the company because they are in the business of adding value to life, and in particular for children. “The Smile Foundation provides expert surgical interventions for children requiring plastic and reconstructive surgery in South Africa and we’ve decided to partner with them in order to part of this life-changing experience. There is no feeling more comforting and consoling than knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of children. The deep joy we feel in putting smiles on their faces is undisguisable”, said Louw.
Marc Lubner, Executive Chairman of The Smile Foundation says: “We are fortunate to have the support of Adcock Ingram for this year’s Smile Week Campaign. They have enabled our organisation to facilitate so many surgeries for children who are in a situation of ‘double jeopardy’ – poverty and disfigurement. It is also very gratifying for us when the hospital positively acknowledges our Smile Week model within their system. Together with the hospital personnel, surgeons, and Adcock Ingram, we love seeing the children and families with smiles on their faces”, Lubner said.
Professor Fred Jooste, Head of Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from Universitas Academic Hospital expressed his sincerest appreciation to Adcock Ingram, as well as the Smile Foundation for making these children’s dreams come true. “Cleft lip and palate is the most common facial congenital anomaly in children. This deformity affects the patients in many negative ways and needs long term specialist treatment. The operation remedies the condition, and a multidisciplinary approach which includes health care professionals will continue post operatively at the hospital, contributing to the best outcome for the child,” Professor Jooste said.
Lubner adds: “The Foundation is encouraged by Universitas, they have trust in them and that it will continue to deliver augmented services to the plastics department of the hospital and continue to put smiles on needy children’s faces. I am so grateful to see Universitas participating alongside five other Academic hospitals to offer a holistic surgical and psychosocial support to children with such needs and thereby contributing to a national Smile approach to the way children are treated.”
For more information on The Smile Foundation, or to donate monies and find out how to get involved, visit www.smilefoundationsa.org or call 0861 ASMILE
