Operation Smile

A little over a year ago I saw Ngan for the first time.  Although she had a facial birth deformity it was her eyes and the sadness in them that captured my heart.

It was then that I was first introduced to Operation Smile, an international children's medical charity that performs life changing cleft lip and cleft palate operations for free.  I had no idea that so many children were dying from a facial deformity that can be fixed with one 45 minute surgery.  I saw story after story of children and how they were shunned and rejected by society.  I saw babies struggling to eat from a tube since they could not suck properly.  Most of these children could not even smile because their deformity.  I saw doctors, amazing doctors, donating their time and talents to perform surgeries on these children.  Then I saw Ngan afterwards and all the joy and beauty inside her that the doctors helped bring to the surface.  I saw her smile.

As a photographer I know I can see beauty in others.  I use my photography to capture that beauty and show them what I see in them.  I love the joy I see in people's eyes when they see the photos I take of them. My love for creating beauty is what drew me to Operation Smile and I knew I had to help.  

I created "Mini Shoots For Smiles" which is a special session clients can sign up for.  The cost is $240, the price of one operation - the price to save one smile.  For more information go to this link or the link at the top of this blog.  I am saving smiles one photo shoot at a time.  Will you join me?