Smile Train Doctors From Around the World Assemble for Renowned Cleft Conference
Unique Event Highlights Heroes Who Have Helped Eliminate Cleft Lip And Palate For Poor Children Worldwide
New York, NY — Over 200 selfless Smile Train doctors from different parts of the globe that perform free surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate will gather September 10-13 at the Cleft 2009: 11th International Congress on Cleft Lip and Palate and Related Craniofacial Anomalies in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Symbolically representing hours of selfless work and thousands of new smiles, the partner doctors will meet to discuss new developments, best practices, and success stories in their respective home countries. Doctors from far-flung locales such as India, Kenya, Pakistan and Peru will join together to discuss new medical developments with their peers and be honored for their achievements helping poor children who otherwise would not receive care.
Smile Train is the major sponsor of the conference and the organization's doctors will join the over 700 conference attendees, including the best and brightest in cleft care from 53 different countries. The conference is being held in South America for the first time ever as the realization of a dream of the eminent Brazilian physician Cassio Raposo do Amaral, M.D., PhD, one of the pioneers in the interdisciplinary treatment of Cleft Lip and who founded SOBRAPAR, Smile Train's first partner hospital in Brazil, which specializes in Craniofacial Anomalies treatment.
Every four years, the world's most renowned professionals in the world of cleft treatment gather to discuss recent progress in the fields of surgery, orthodontics, speech therapy and psychosocial treatments as well as breakthroughs in genetics.
"It's a big honor to host the Congress in Brazil," said President of the Congress Vera Raposo do Amaral, representing her husband who was named President posthumusely after his death in 2005. "Cleft 2009 is the most important event about cleft lip, palate and craniofacial anomalies in the world and I hope this will be a great event with networking opportunities among the professionals and a chance to learn about the most recent research and surgical techniques in this area."
Smile Train's prestigious Medical Advisory Board members will serve as key faculty for the conference, the organization will participate in a panel and as the major sponsor and a representative from the organization will take part in the opening ceremony officially welcoming participants. Notable attendees will include Smile Train's U.S. Medical Advisory Board Chairman, Dr. Court Cutting, and members Dr. S. Anthony Wolfe, Dr. Brian C. Sommerlad, Dr. Jan Lilja, and Dr. Philip Kuo-Ting Chen, joined by Smile Train Consultant Dr. Eric Hubli. Dr. Mukunda Reddy and Dr. Karoon Agrawal will also be at the conference representing Smile Train's India Medical Advisory Board.
"There is always a bit of magic in the room when all of these true humanitarians get together under one roof," said DeLois Greenwood, Vice President of Smile Train. "We are proud to sponsor this prestigious conference that allows the best and the brightest to deliver the highest quality of comprehensive cleft care."
Smile Train is enabling partner doctors to attend important medical conferences that facilitate education and an exchange of ideas like Cleft 2009 by granting scholarships to attendees. Many of the partner surgeons who dedicate their time to helping these impoverished children are donating their services for free, truly making them modern day heroes.
Smile Train's mission is simple: that no child should live a life of pain and isolation due to a cleft. It was founded on the principal that more children could be helped by working through partner doctors located in their own communities, rather than flying in teams of Western doctors for short mission trips. Using this model, the organization has flourished and reached a significant milestone in this year it's tenth 500,000 surgeries provided via talented local surgeons' hands.
"Being a Smile Train Partner doctor is a very important association, as the Smile Train strives to provide support to cleft children through local doctors," said scholarship recipient and faculty member Dr. Jyotsna Murthy. "This experience provides us with the opportunity to improve our skills, knowledge and opportunity to serve. We learn from the experience of surgeons who work in different conditions and bring out new innovation."
ABOUT SMILE TRAIN
Smile Train is the world's leading cleft charity with thousands of partners and programs in 76 of the world's poorest countries. Our mission is to help the more than 4.7 million children in developing countries who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. We provide free cleft surgery to children from poor families that give children not just a new smile, but a new life. Now in its tenth year, Smile Train has helped hundreds of thousands of children.
