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The Gift

The gift of life-changing surgery is possible due to a combination of our passion and your donations. We encourage you to play a vital role in our continued effort to provide surgical answers for the many families who need our help. To empower our team, please click on the donate button located throughout this site.

Thank you on behalf of our team of international volunteers and the families we serve!

Facts

Operation of Hope Worldwide, based in Lake Forest, California (EN # 45-2778045) is a (501) (c) IRS sanctioned public not-for-profit, all-volunteer surgical team that provides free surgeries to children in under-served countries who are born with or suffering from facial deformities and burns, healthcare and training.

Founded in 1988, by retired ear, nose and throat physician Dr. JP Clawson, the all-volunteer team has impacted the lives of over 5,000 children.

  • Our medical team personnel are all volunteers
  • Our surgeons are Board Certified
  • All operations are performed free of charge to the children and families we care for.
  • Operation of Hope was a 2013 Top-Rated Nonprofit. Read Operation of Hope Reviews at Great Nonprofits.
  • Operation of Hope has been featured in People magazine (2009), Oprah’s magazine “O” (Dec 2009), Good Housekeeping (August 2015) named “Hero Among Us” CNN All Star Tribute (2009), CBS The Doctors Show 2015, Winner of Hugh Jackman’s, “Twitter” Contest 2010, recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Rotary Award (2016) and was a 2013 Top-Rated Nonprofit honored by Great Nonprofits.

Services

Reconstructive Surgery for Burn Victims

Empowered by our donors, Operation of Hope has added reconstructive surgery for burn victims as part of their international outreach. Our involvement in this field is an answer to the severely limited resources for victims of all ages who have suffered from burns as a result of accidents involving boiling water, hot oils, acids, fire and electricity.

Facial Reconstructive Surgery

Operation of Hope provides free surgeries around the world for children born with or suffering from facial deformities. For over two decades our board-certified volunteer surgeons have donated over 5,000 facial reconstructive surgeries for patients and families in need.

Neonatal care and education

Operation of Hope volunteer Dr. Carla Weis explains, “there is nothing so rewarding as sharing information and resources with others in need to that precious lives can be saved. We have so much to offer.” With continued donor support, Operation of Hope looks to expand on this program with their pool of highly-specialized volunteer neonatologists.

Prosthesis Clinics

Nothing is more powerful than meeting someone with one or both hands missing and being able to give them a basic tool that will help them with simple things in life we so often take for granted. Everyday tasks such as lifting a spoon, holding a pen, carrying a bag or steering a car become possible again. In cooperation with The Ellen Meadows Foundation and Rotary International, Operation of Hope is able to fit many amputee victims in our outreach clinics.

Special Needs patients

Over the years, Operation of Hope has folded special needs patients into their scope of international work. One unique case involves a young boy from Zimbabwe, Africa who suffered a facial deformity as a result of blast injury to his face. The boy is named Beloved and at the age of 10 picked up a land-mine thinking the shiny object was a transistor radio.

Beloved thought he could get better reception if he placed the device in his mouth which is when the land-mine detonated and removed most of Beloved’s mouth, teeth, lips and tongue. 4 years later, our donors and Operation of Hope Volunteer surgeons Dr. Keith Blackwell and Dr. Babak Azizzadeh came together to help this young boy and his incredible journey. This life-transformation was documented by People Magazine in one of the largest humanitarian features (Hero Among Us/Sept. 2009) in the magazines history. Beloved was also honored by CNN in their televised broadcast of an All Star Hero Tribute. (Thanksgiving night/2008)

Mission

We provide free, life-changing surgery & health care for children in desperate need and create a self-sustaining program of hope through education. We are building a growing network of medical professionals that serve patients in desperate needs, so that every child has the hope of a normal life.