JUST like the saying, life is not measured by the wealth an individual has acquired but the number of lives touched, unfortunately, the reverse appears the case today.

Many people in Nigeria today have all it takes to make someone smile but the question is, how many are doing that today? Experts say smiling at someone else can cause physiological changes within the bodies.

Unfortunately, many Nigerians today are not smiling because of one reason or the other. One of these reasons, is not unconnected with a congenital health defect, Cleft lip/Palate, abnormal developments of the face during pregnancy. They can occur together as cleft lip and palate.

One organisation working towards reducing the plight of these children is Health, Education, Work and Shelter, H.E.W.S Foundation whose primary focus on cleft surgeries.

Founder of the Foundation, Mr. Remi Adeseun, says the aim is based on the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of children in Nigeria who are struggling through life with a cleft lip/palate and cannot afford the treatment. Since its incorporation in 2010, H.E.W.S. Foundation has helped put smiles on the faces of 30 less privileged Nigerians with cleft patients and their families.

The Foundation is a charity committed to helping poor people with pressing needs to live healthy lives, get good education, decent shelter and gain power to lift themselves and others out of poverty. In the area of Healthcare, the primary focus has been on providing free cleft lip & palate surgery to the thousands of Nigerian children especially, who were born and are suffering with the congenital defect of cleft lips/palate.

Adeseun said: The Foundation’s primary focus on cleft surgeries is based on the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of children in Nigeria who are struggling through life with a cleft lip/palate. Three editions of the Foundation’s free cleft surgery programmes have been held so far.

Ondo State was the first beneficiary with 12 patients who had their cleft lips and palates successful repaired in November 2010 at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure while the second programme was carried out at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti in May 2011 on 10 series which successfully took care of eight cases held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja Lagos.

These Missions are strategically done in collaboration with the State Governments and supported by volunteer Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgeons from across the country along with other Healthcare professionals from various units across the beneficiary states.

Notable amongst these volunteer surgeons is Dr. K.O. Ogundipe, a Plastic Surgeon who served as the Mission Director and Operating Surgeon for the Akure and Ado-Ekiti missions and equally served at the just concluded Lagos mission as an Operating Surgeon, Dr. Obimakinde, an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon of the same University Teaching Hospital Ado-Ekiti also served as an Operating Surgeon in all three Missions and Dr. Akintububo, also an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon of the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe State who served as an Operating Surgeon in the Akure mission.