Amogelang
“You go there, and you come back with a different life.”
– Tshepo Manetja, age 27
Six years have passed since Tshepo had his cleft surgery through Operation Smile. But it still seems like a miracle to him.
He grew up in a small rural village where no one had ever seen a cleft before. The kind of place where people just accept what life throws at them.
No one, including his parents, thought that anything could be done for young Tshepo. He learned to live with the stares, the whispers, the mocking laughter. But the pain of being different never really went away.
As he grew older, so did his determination to find out what was wrong with him, and if any treatment was possible. He walked alone to the hospital where he’d been born and asked to see his medical records. But there were no records.
He went to a larger hospital, hoping to find answers. His hopes were raised when he managed to get an appointment to see a doctor. But the appointment was postponed. Not once, but again and again.
Tshepo never did get to see the hospital doctor. But what he did see was an advert on the TV. A picture of a child who looked just like him. And the words: Operation Smile. Free cleft surgery.
A few months later, Tshepo lay on an operating table undergoing the surgery that changed his life. But our intervention didn’t end there. We continue to help him with ongoing dental work as part of our comprehensive care programme.
Today he’s a confident young man with a smile that lights up the room. But one thing still haunts him.
“I don’t want to see any child go through what I went through.”
And yet, so many still do. At our recent Surgical Programme in Johannesburg, Tshepo met 11-year old Amogelang. His sad eyes and shyness pierced Tshepo’s heart. He knew exactly how this young boy felt.
Amogelang was one of 37 children who received surgery during that weekend programme. But many more children are still waiting for their miracle.
You can help make it possible – by supporting our incredible volunteer medical professionals to make more smiles possible.
Your gift goes towards essential medical equipment and supplies, plus transport to get equipment, volunteers and patients to the hospital. It all adds up – and we can’t do it without support from others who care.
So, please will you fill in the form to donate now?
One chance. One moment. 45 minutes.
That’s all it takes.
Please give that chance today by donating towards our work.
