OPERATION SMILE MEDICAL MISSION TO TAKE PLACE IN QUANXI, CHINA, FROM APRIL 16-23, 2008

   An Operation Smile Medical Mission team will work with their Chinese counterparts in Quanxi, China from April 16-23, 2008 to assist children born with facial deformities.  The team consists of more than 40 medical and non-medical volunteers from Australia, Brazil, China, Morocco, Singapore and the United States.  Founded in 1982, Operation Smile is a worldwide children’s medical charity dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults. 

Who: An Operation Smile International Mission Team comprised of 35-40 credentialed medical professionals from 6 countries:

• Dr. Han Kai, plastic surgeon and Operation Smile Medical Mission in China Medical Director
• Debi Smith, R.N., clinical coordinator from Ohio   
• Lauren Cunningham, RN, operating room nurse from Georgia
• Ngoc Nguyen, biomedical technician from Florida

When:  April 16-23, 2008

Where: Zhongxin Hospital, Quanxi, China
  
This is the first Operation Smile medical mission to the city of Quanxi, which is in the Guizhou province.  The first medical mission to China took place in 1991, and since then, Operation Smile medical volunteers have provided free physical examinations to more than 12,500 children suffering with facial deformities and more than 7,500 have received free reconstructive surgery through international medical missions and in-country, local medical missions.

The last medical missions in China took place in Hangzhou, Lin Cang, Linyi and Nanjing in November 2007 during Operation Smile’s 25th Anniversary World Journey of Smiles.  These four mission teams provided a total of 550 free physical examinations for children and young adults and 358 received free reconstructive surgery.  In Hangzhou, the Operation Smile Charity
Hospital opened on November 9.  The hospital will provide year-round comprehensive care for cleft lip and cleft palate patients and serve as a medical education training center for Chinese healthcare professionals.
  
About Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org)
Founded in 1982, Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is a worldwide children’s medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults.  Since its founding, Operation Smile volunteers have treated more than 115,000 children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. In addition to contributing free medical treatment, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals in its 26 partner countries and leaves behind crucial equipment to lay the groundwork for long-term self-sufficiency. 

Media Notes:  To receive images or additional information, or to request an interview with an Operation Smile spokesperson, please contact Lisa Jones at ljones@operationsmile.org or 757-321-3252.