Today we operated. Today we taught. Today we did both at the same time.

But the story of today is not just what happened in the operating room. It is how it happened, and who made it happen together.

A mission like this only works if the people on the ground are genuinely part of it, not just hosts, but partners. Today that was clear. The plastic surgery residents showed up with focus and curiosity. Dr. Omosebi Taiwo, head of the entire facility, set the tone for what collaboration here looks like. We are grateful to be working alongside them.

During our last mission here in November, Dr. Eric noticed something missing from the local instrument sets: a Blair elevator, a small tool used to lift the palate during surgery. Simple, inexpensive, easy to overlook. AfS and the Rotary Foundation purchased two of them through the Rotary Foundation Global Grant, and gifted them to the team here together with four head lamps and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Today, those Blair elevators and the head lamps were used for the first time. The difference was immediate. Everyone in the room noticed. Training is not always a lecture or a demonstration. Sometimes it is leaving behind the right tool.

Alliance for Smiles and Team LASUTH:
Building Bridges Together