TRANSFORMATIONS

What an exciting time for Operation of Hope. In 2006 alone, we set an annual record of 134 facial operations with visits to Quito, Ecuador and Zimbabwe, Africa. Below are three stories of children with lives changed forever as a direct result of your donations and support.

Quito, Ecuador. 20 year old Lorena suffered from a serious congenital defect of her nose. This condition gave her two ridges and two very separate nostrils. Lorena and her parents knocked on many doors all over Guayaquil, her home village, but could never find an adequate solution to her problem. The family had lost all faith that she would look normal ever again. Through a friend, Lorena was told about a group of doctors that come to Riobamba every year from the US to perform surgeries on facial deformities and decided to hold their breath and take a chance. Lorena then made the six-hour bus trip to be evaluated by the Operation of Hope doctors.

"You don't know how much I prayed to God for this day." Lorena's evaluation went well, and she was placed on Operation of Hope's busy 2-week schedule. Hope had arrived! Lorena's operation was a great success and today her life has been transformed forever. She feels confident and now has a job and opportunities that were not available to her before the operation. Today, Lorena feels very content and has established a new life now that her dreams have been fulfilled by the teamwork of Operation of Hope.

George Gonese is one of the 43 proud children Operation of Hope helped in our first ever trip to Zimbabwe in October of 2006. Baby George is the picture-perfect example of a beautiful child and how a donation can change the path of a child forever. George and his family held a deep-seated hope they could correct their child's condition, which the Mother incorrectly believed was a result of the child sucking his thumb in the womb.

With a total income of $10 US dollars a month for a family of 6, George's parents knew they could never afford the surgery needed for their child. After a successful surgery led by Operation of Hope Founder Dr. Joseph Clawson and volunteers Dr. Travis Tollefson and Dr. Annette Pham, George and his family were witness to results that were truly a blessing. Baby George now has a smile that will match his beautiful gaze.

In October of 2007, Operation of Hope encountered the unusual case of a child who had grown up with a cleft-lip. Jobless, homeless, and socially outcast, Solomon met Operation of Hope 30 years after he was born with his congenital birth defect. Two days later, his lip was repaired and in the following days of his short recovery, the story of this young man unfolded before our team.

During his recovery, Program Director Jennifer Trubenbach asked Solomon what he would do now that he had a handsome smile to go with his amazing deep brown eyes? Blushing, Solomon unfolded a worn piece of paper from his pocket. The list contained an array of gifts which he would need to offer his brides family before his girlfriend was to become his wife. A tradition common to his Shona culture.

Among the more interesting items on the list were a pair of size 8 black shoes, a white shirt, a tie and socks, cash and 7 cows. Operation of Hope found a little money in the cookie jar, Marketing Director Stephen Clawson had an extra pair of shoes, shirt and tie in his suitcase. (We agreed he needed to come up with the 7 cows on his own.) Before long, Solomon had a handsome package of goods to go along with an amazing new smile that came from deep within.