Thursday June 27:
The team arrived in Amman, Jordan and we had our first team meeting. It included getting to know each other and the logistics of Thursday's screening day. The team includes members from the US, Italy, Egypt, Brazil, UAE and Jordan. The experience varies with some members on their first mission and one woman on her 60'th Op Smile Mission!
Friday June 28:
A hectic screening day. We assembled in a hospital on the outskirts of Amman. Children and family members assembled early in the day under makeshift tents outside the hospital to begin the screening process. It includes a number of stages in which we interview the candidate and evaluate they malady, physical health and medical history. There is a high level of anxiety on the part of the families as they have traveled far and wide in the hopes of having their loved one treated. For many, Operation Smile represents their only chance for their child to live a normal healthy life.
Here are some of their stories:
Beautiful Sabr from Jordan, is 10 months old. I was struck by his big brown eyes, frail body and young mother trying to cope with both his cleft lip and palate. His Mom traveled far to give her son a chance.
A young Syrian baby, Suliyman arrived with his Mother and Grandmother who moved to Jordan after his father was killed in Syria. At 1 1/2 years old his smile was pure and innocent. At first his family refused permission to photograph him in fear of reprisals. They later relented.
Muhamed is 7 years old and lives in the Zaatari refugee camp on the border of Syria and Jordan. We had a more extensive interview with his father who described his exit from Syria so vividly and with such emotion we were moved to tears. Conditions in the camps are barely manageable with a limited access to basic needs and level of lawlessness due to the sheer volume of refugees.
Now meet Hanan at 13, older than many of the children we screened. From a poor family with no father, she waited quietly and patiently all day for her chance to at a life changing experience. With little material possessions to show, her humble and grateful attitude compelled us to ensure she had the opportunity to smile.
Finally, one more child namer Amr. We interviewed his mother who spoke in anger and despair of the state of her country. Her impassioned description of the bloodshed and generations lost was a firsthand accounting of the reality of what has become of Syria.
The team arrived in Amman, Jordan and we had our first team meeting. It included getting to know each other and the logistics of Thursday's screening day. The team includes members from the US, Italy, Egypt, Brazil, UAE and Jordan. The experience varies with some members on their first mission and one woman on her 60'th Op Smile Mission!
Friday June 28:
A hectic screening day. We assembled in a hospital on the outskirts of Amman. Children and family members assembled early in the day under makeshift tents outside the hospital to begin the screening process. It includes a number of stages in which we interview the candidate and evaluate they malady, physical health and medical history. There is a high level of anxiety on the part of the families as they have traveled far and wide in the hopes of having their loved one treated. For many, Operation Smile represents their only chance for their child to live a normal healthy life.
Here are some of their stories:
Beautiful Sabr from Jordan, is 10 months old. I was struck by his big brown eyes, frail body and young mother trying to cope with both his cleft lip and palate. His Mom traveled far to give her son a chance.
A young Syrian baby, Suliyman arrived with his Mother and Grandmother who moved to Jordan after his father was killed in Syria. At 1 1/2 years old his smile was pure and innocent. At first his family refused permission to photograph him in fear of reprisals. They later relented.
Muhamed is 7 years old and lives in the Zaatari refugee camp on the border of Syria and Jordan. We had a more extensive interview with his father who described his exit from Syria so vividly and with such emotion we were moved to tears. Conditions in the camps are barely manageable with a limited access to basic needs and level of lawlessness due to the sheer volume of refugees.
Now meet Hanan at 13, older than many of the children we screened. From a poor family with no father, she waited quietly and patiently all day for her chance to at a life changing experience. With little material possessions to show, her humble and grateful attitude compelled us to ensure she had the opportunity to smile.
Finally, one more child namer Amr. We interviewed his mother who spoke in anger and despair of the state of her country. Her impassioned description of the bloodshed and generations lost was a firsthand accounting of the reality of what has become of Syria.
