Smile Foundation restores 18 smiles at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital

Smile Foundation’s Smile Week in association with Airports Company South Africa took off at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital from November 11 to November 15.

This is a full-circle moment for the foundation because it is the hospital where the first Smile Week launched, realising former President Nelson Mandela’s passion for helping children receive the surgery required.

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“Being here today is special because it was the birthplace of Smile Foundation. Twenty-four years ago this is where our first surgeries took place. Today we come here as a different foundation and have helped perform over 5 200 surgeries since we began which means we have not only helped children but communities as well,” said the CEO of Smile Foundation, Tarri Parfitt.

This Smile Week is crucial as it addresses a three-year backlog of surgeries needed in Johannesburg due to the high demand for corrective surgeries in this region.

The Smile Week initiative will be led by two professors, Thendo Neshiongolwe and Chrysis Sofianos.

Eighteen children from underserved communities suffering from facial anomalies will undergo reconstructive surgery, most of which will involve cleft lip and palate repair in the four days of Smile Week.

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Among the children undergoing surgery this Smile Week will be Amukelani Nkosi, a girl who was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate.
Amukelani’s mother, Busisiwe, who was only 18 years old at the time of her child’s birth, was not emotionally prepared for her daughter’s birth condition.

This Smile Week will transform Nkosi’s journey from one marked by the challenges of being born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate to one filled with smiles, hope, and new possibilities.

Neshiongolwe said working with Smile Foundation was special.

“I have been working with the foundation since I was a registrar and that is when I knew that I always wanted to help and work with them because of the good work they continue to do. After we have completed the surgeries, the confidence in these children is evident in their follow-up sessions because they smile often and are happier.”

Airports Company South Africa regional general manager Jabulani Khambule concluded that the company took pride in its partnership with the foundation. “We are a firm believer in the strength of community and the value of giving back. This initiative is aligned with the company’s commitment to making a lasting impact in previously disadvantaged communities by improving the quality of life of these young patients and their families.
“Seeing the smiles on the faces of these children serves as a reminder that acts of kindness can make a big and lasting difference in the lives of these families.”

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