Club Petition to Mr. Podraza

Dear Mr. Podraza,
         
The smile is the most important feature of a person. It can transform any face and represent a multitude of emotions. But, some people in the world cannot smile and shy away from peers because of a birth abnormality: a cleft lip or cleft palate. The physical effects from clefting are not merely cosmetic. Children with these deformities can suffer multiple medical problems including ear disease, chronic ear infections, malnutrition, dental problems, and difficulties in speech development. The emotional effects from these deformities are also devastating to children.or simply “dropping out” in the early stages of their educational development.

Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity that grants children their smiles. The charity has a group of medical professionals and volunteers who provide surgeries for children who were born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. For many children in developing countries, the much-needed medical and surgical care is simply unavailable. Here in the United States, children still go untreated because of the lack of insurance and/or financial resources to pay for the procedures, co-pays and deductibles. Operation Smile was born out of a desire, as well as a need, to help the many thousands of children who go untreated. But Operation Smile isn’t just about fixing the smiles, when they leave a country they will leave behind education, equipment, and training for a healthier community.

Operation Smile was established in East Greenwich High School to let the school be part of a charity that has provided their services to over 200,000 children in over sixty countries. It gives students the chance to reflect on their lucky lives and humble themselves to help others. Besides being to help others, the club helps their members as well. They become empowered by the struggles of these children and feel more motivated to contribute to their world and community and become leaders. It teaches young adults the values of compassion and commitment along with awareness of other parts of the world.

The club meets every other week working toward the goal of raising as much money possible and to educate the school and community of what Operation Smile is all about. While Operation Smile cannot change the world, by giving surgery to at least one person it can change an individual’s whole world. We can bring hope to those children who have none. We can make a difference and do something great. We can change the world one smile at a time.

Sincerely,

Michelle Xiong