Day 2 - All Smiles in Fortaleza!!!

Today I woke up at 5:15 am and left the hotel at 6! We screened lots of kids and most have cleft palates. It seems their cleft lip conditions had been repaired on previous missions. Much of the time today I spent coloring with the kids as they are waiting to be screened. It's a lot of pressure to wait to see if you qualify for an operation. It's sad to see the families that have to leave and try again another time. But, the coloring was fun and a great way to take the kids' minds off what was going on. Sam DeVito, my student volunteer partner and I each brought two overly-stuffed huge suitcses with toys, soccer balls and lots to play with and give away. Today, we also made bracelets and sunglasses out of pipe cleaners! We also made bracelets with the Marines. Getting to meet and play with the children is the best. Unexpectedly, I was coloring with a sweet little boy who was sitting on my lap and he peed on me. Oh well! We did about 15 presentations to the waiting families and their kids on oral hygiene, making healthy food choices, oral rehydration and other topics! We have a translator and many of the words on the posters I made are in Portuguese. This adorable girl, Mayana, helped us with our presentations the whole time! I loved her and those big brown eyes!! We tried to make it fun when we taught kids how to brush their teeth properly. I brought this huge caste mouth (you can see it in the photo with Mayana) to demonstrate how to brush your teeth.

One of the best moments was a break we took when I played soccer with Operation Smile's co-founder, Kathy Magee, Dr. Chong and two little boys who could juggle and do tricks! I'm amazed at how universal soccer is...la joga bonito!! One of the biggest pop stars of Brazil, Dinho, made an appearance at the hospital!! Operation Smile's co-founder, Dr. Bill Magee, introduced Sam and I to Dinho and we were interviewed and took photos with him. Just being a student volunteer and we're treated like rock stars - so unexpected!

At the end of the day, my most lasting impression is the universal love a mother and father have for their child. These Brazilian parents just want the best for their kids and are so humble and welcoming. It's humbled me and made me think twice in a way I never expected - seeing people who literally have nothing being profoundly grateful that their kids can be given a chance at normal life. The most memorable moment today came when I just gave a dad one mini beach ball for his child. When he touched his heart and pointed to me to thank me as he walked away, I have never felt so blessed!! Just to have this opportunity to experience charity work at it best with amazing volunteers and beautiful Brazilian families, well it doesn't get sweeter than this. Tomorrow's our team bonding Beach day - I can't wait!!!!!

Lucas and me - 1st day in Fortaleza!!

OBRIGADO!!!!

Thank you all SOOOO much who have generously donated!! This is a picture of all the items (and over 800 toothbrushes) I will be bringing with me to Fortaleza on Saturday!! The kids will LOVE it! People like you make a difference in the world and will definitely change a child's life in Brazil. I love you guys!!! Pray for a safe flight for the entire medical and student team!!

Almost there!!

THANK YOU!!!! Everyone has been so generous that I have just about everything on my "wish list" for the kids - last thing is soccer balls!!

I just returned from the OpSmile International Student Leadership Conference in Denver. The theme was "Be The Change" - super inspirational. A speaker talked about when she was 18 travelling to Nepal and found orphans needed homes there. She started a grass-roots campaign and now has built a house where 300 orphans live and go to school. She only had $5,000 in life savings to start it off and was just a teenager. Another speaker told us to surround ourselves with people who make us better - help us to be our "best selves" - and support us on our path in life.

Again, hugs and kisses to my amazing friends and family who have donated to help the children of Fortaleza! Obrigado!!

Smiles, Smiles, Smiles: My Mission to Fortaleza!

First of all, thank you soooo much for being interested in looking at my blog and helping to change the world- one smile at a time!!!

As you may know, I'm going to Fortaleza, Brazil on a 12 day Operation Smile medical mission from August 28 to September 8, 2010. I'm unbelievably excited and honored to be a student volunteer!! Operation Smile provides life-changing facial reconstructive surgeries to children born with cleft lips and cleft palates in third world countries. 5,786 miles away & 23+ hours of travel & LiFe ChAnGiNg SmiLeS - yessss !

(That's where I'm going!!!!)

I created this blog in the hopes that my friends and family (yes, you guys!) would be interested in helping to sponsor my trip for me to bring supplies to the children in the hospital. Operation Smile pays for the airfare, hotel and dinners of the mission team's doctors, nurses, adult and student volunteers. Right now, I am asking for DONATIONS-DONATIONS-DONATIONS on the kid's supply wish list.

I am SOOOOOOO excited! This has been 2 years in the making. The importance of finding a way to help the most vulnerable in society, especially children, motivated my sister and I to start our San Clemente High School campus chapter in 2008, which has raised $20,000 in donations to Operation Smile so far! I was SO stoked to be chosen to attend the Mission Training Workshop because only two high school student volunteers are selected to go on an Operation Smile mission. The student volunteers serve as health care educators giving presentations on oral and dental hygiene, burn care and prevention, oral rehydration therapy and nutrition to the children, their families and at orphanages and schools; I will also be there to play with and comfort the kids and their families during screening, pre-op and post-op. My student volunteer partner (who is an awesome Jersey girl- just as passionate about OP Smile as I am!) and I will also support the medical team in any way. They say we'll have 12 hour working days to screen about 200 children and provide as many surgeries in the time we're there. I can't wait; the day needs to come faster!!! :)

My sister, Sam, is my hero and she volunteered last November on Operation Smile's 20th Anniversary mission to Hanoi, Vietnam. Sam said the children in the screening and pre-op areas LOVED playing with bubbles, coloring books and crayons, stickers, beach balls, and little toys that light up! She brought over 1,000 donated toothbrushes. I'd also like to give away small soccer balls (hey, it's Brazil, soccer capital of the world! Or should I say futebol!)! Sam said meeting the Vietnamese children, families and volunteers changed her life in a big way. I know I will be forever changed by my time in Brazil. (Click here for Sam's mission story)

I feel blessed and have soooooo much to be thankful for (even going on this trip is a blessing!). I believe it is my responsibility to give back in any way I can. There's no reason those less fortunate should needlessly live in a world of isolation and pain. There's no reason a child should be shunned in their community and suffer the humiliation of an easily correctable facial deformity. How many ways can you change people's lives in 45 minutes?!?!? That's how long the $240 surgery takes.

PLEASE contact me (there's a little box with my contact info in the bottom right hand column of the page) if you're interested in helping sponsor my trip! Any money donated goes directly to the purchasing of supplies for the children! If you can donate any of the items or if you could make a monetary donation of any amount, please email me and I'll give you my mailing address if you don't already have it!! :)

I hope you will support me on my journey to help change the world- one smile at a time! I hope you find OP Smile as incredible and unbelievable as I do. :) THANK YOU! THANK YOU! OBRIGADO! (in Portuguese!) OBRIGADO!

Much Love, xoxo,

Frannie

"Don't let the world change your smile; let your smile change the world."