GSF Summer Trip to Ecuador 2019

A child is born with a craniofacial deformity somewhere in the world approximately every two and a half minutes. Additionally, developing countries in Latin America, such as Ecuador, have significantly higher rates of birth defects. Due to lack of medical expertise, these children may go untreated for decades and experience lifelong physical, psychosocial, and emotional issues due to bullying, abandonment, social isolation, and inability to obtain meaningful employment. Craniofacial deformities include cleft lip and palate, craniosynostosis (skull irregularities), and facial paralysis, causing the inability to smile. These deformities call for extensive, lifelong management, including speech therapy, dental, and ear care. In the US, there are craniofacial centers dedicated to taking care of these complexities. Furthermore, more than 140 million people in Latin America do not have access to health care.

Imagine being a kid, or having a child, who had a facial deformity. Bullying, social harassment and isolation, people even thinking that you are possessed by the devil due to cultural and societal norms and stigma. What would you do if you had the opportunity to have this changed for yourself, or someone you love?

Join me in changing over 2,000 people's lives by adding another medical mission trip to Ecuador this summer 2019. Over 100 kids with these facial deformities will have surgeries operated on them, and with each person who's life is changed, you are also impacting 20 other people, including family and friends. 

GSF is a non profit organization that travels to third world countries to perform surgeries for kids who have facial deformities, such as facial paralysis and can’t smile, and can’t afford it otherwise. Since the surgeries are rare for these children to find, the surgeries are extremely life changing  Not only does the organization perform surgeries on the children, but postoperative psychological and emotional help is provided as well, which is extremely important because due to the facial deformities, the kids experience bullying and traumatic school experiences, so not only is the visual problem solved, but an emotional and personal bond is created as well. In addition, GSF has a residency program that educated doctors in the third world countries, which allows for information to be spread and more access to medical and goal healthcare spread

Here is a link to a presentation with more details: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1z63qntuu4d1F0-IQz1SCXRK4SPzyl47fK7wWttpp4u8/edit?usp=sharing 
Here is the donation link on the GSF website: https://gsmile.org/kylies-mission-to-ecuador/ 

Thank you for joining me in making a difference! All contributions will change a life. Know you have done something to make the world a better place!