What is Operation Smile?

Operation Smile is a national medical charity that aids medical mission trips to impoverished areas of the world that enable volunteer doctors to repair cleft lips and palates for children and young adults. During a mother’s early pregnancy, cleft lip and palate begin to develop due to tissue of the mouth or lip not fusing together properly. This leaves a hole or opening and can affect a child in multiple ways. They suffer from social stigma, speech impediment, and worst of all, malnourishment. It can be difficult to get treatment in impoverished areas, but that’s where Operation Smile comes in. They have two main mission goals: one, to provide safe and free surgical care and two, to educate and empower the communities they travel to.

University of Delaware student, Alexis Ryan, a Cognitive Science Major, became aware of Operation Smile by watching an infomercial. Something as simple as that made her desire a way to help those in need. She states, “I was so profoundly moved by the work they were doing, I knew I needed to do something.” However, due to college expenses, she didn’t feel that her donating would be enough. Alexis thought about volunteering, but their upcoming mission trips would interfere with her semester. So, what was there to do?

After spending time looking around online, she discovered the Operation Smile student-run chapter at James Madison University. “This, I thought, is something I could definitely do,” Alexis says. So, her work began, organizing everything she needed to do to get this up and running at the University of Delaware. After a semester-long process of getting paperwork in order, she has finally held the first University of Delaware Operation Smile meeting on Sept. 30, 2015. Alexis felt positively about the success of the first meeting and said, “I see great things ahead for us. Everyone that came out to the meeting was genuinely excited about getting involved.” Attending that meeting myself, I couldn’t agree more. It was her closing that really left a mark on those that came. She told us that it only costs $240 to perform one surgery, and if all we ever did as a club was raise $240, we could change one kid’s life. And, she said, “That’s something to feel good about doing.”

Interested in getting involved?

Come see what it’s all about and find out how you, too, can make an impact on a child’s life.

Contact lexryan@udel.edu to learn more.