Alliance for Smiles returned to Accra, Ghana in July for its fifth medical mission – this time as a focused brief mission designed to deliver targeted follow-up care in collaboration with local medical providers for particularly complex cases. The team spent three days on the ground, including two operating days, with a small but dedicated group of three volunteers, including one surgeon.
On Day 1, the team reunited with families Alliance for Smiles had first met as far back as 2010. A total of 18 returning patients with complicated medical cases from previous missions received consultations and evaluations for the next stage of their cleft care. Among them was 16-year-old Angelita, whom we first met as a four-month-old baby.
These reunions are a powerful reminder that Alliance for Smiles’ work goes beyond surgery. It is about long-term cleft care, continuity of treatment, supporting advanced training for our local medical partners, and building lasting relationships with families. It is about restoring hope and creating brighter futures for children born with cleft lip and palate conditions, while empowering the local teams who serve them
This mission marked the final phase of a Rotary Global Grant, undertaken in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Accra-West, Columbia County, Greene and Putnam Counties, Venice-Nokomis, Winter Haven, the Rotary District 6910, 6960 & 9104, and The Rotary Foundation, reinforcing our shared commitment to sustainable global health initiatives.
