We met our original goal of 1 surgery in 3 days! Thank you everyone for your generosity, let's see how many surgeries we can cover for these children!

Hi, my name is Anita Karr.

I am a New Jersey resident with a background in community engagement and Masters in Public Health. In April, I will be volunteering in the Philippines (self-funded) with Operation Restore Hope Australia. ORHA is an Australian based surgical charity for less fortunate children and young adults in the Philippines with birth defects and deformities, especially cleft lip and cleft palate. ORH also treats more complex deformity cases in partnership with leading Filipino hospitals.

Since its founding in 1993, ORH has treated more than 3,500 cases. Early treatment and repair of the lip and the palate assist in the infant’s normal uptake of food, oxygen, development of speech and normal socialization.

Because a cleft lip and/or palate denies a child normal speech and appearance, these children are most often relegated to a lowly, impoverished life where they are likely to be denied the simplest privileges such as schooling, social contact and eventual employment to due to their deformity. Surgery provides these children is the ability to develop, thrive and communicate.

The cost of one life changing surgery is $500! Every dollar goes directly to helping children in need and not to fees paid for medical and executive management services.

My goal is to cover 3 complete surgeries while I am there. The volunteer medical team will be seeing 66 patients over the course of this week and will change the course of a child's life directly.

Thank you for donating!

For more information, please visit:

https://www.operationrestorehope.org/