A million dollar day for us today. Roma Downey and her daughter Reilly did a stellar job with our NEW bilateral boy, Eduardo and his beautiful and graceful mother, Noemi. They sat with Noemi and Eduardo gently learning of the horror his mother felt at his birth with a bilateral cleft lip. When Noemi went to a pediatrician all the way in Managua, he told her that a team from Operation Smile was going to be in Granada the week of the 21st. He told her to drop whatever else she was doing and get to the hospital. It would be Eduardo's only chance.
Eduardo was handed off to the nurses at the door to the operating room leaving his mother full of anxiety...and hope. Forty-five minutes later Roma delivered Eduardo into his mother's arms, a boy with a brand new smile and a whole new chance in life. With hugs and kisses Roma, Reilly and Noemi celebrated Eduardo's new birth.
Then Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor which is shooting in Nicaragua, hit the mission site and got to experience the miracle of Operation Smile surgery first hand. He saw our little 6 year-old boy Johan go into surgery. Jeff was very interested in everything. He got the fine points of anethesia from one of the best in the business and looked over the shoulder of a world-class surgeon as stich by stich Johan was transformed. Then in post-op Jeff learned from Johan's mother, Erica, just what life was like for Johan growing up with a cleft lip and being called "cleft boy" by other kids. She told him that even though Johan was constantly ridiculed and teased, he never gave up. Now he won't have to. Jeff turned to the camera and in no uncertain terms encouraged viewers to get off the couch and do something wonderful. Do something for someone less fortunate. Do something that matters.
What a day in Nicaragua. The team will be here for two more days, but Jim and I fly out tomorrow, heading home richer by far and full of memories that will last a lifetime.
Eduardo was handed off to the nurses at the door to the operating room leaving his mother full of anxiety...and hope. Forty-five minutes later Roma delivered Eduardo into his mother's arms, a boy with a brand new smile and a whole new chance in life. With hugs and kisses Roma, Reilly and Noemi celebrated Eduardo's new birth.
Then Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor which is shooting in Nicaragua, hit the mission site and got to experience the miracle of Operation Smile surgery first hand. He saw our little 6 year-old boy Johan go into surgery. Jeff was very interested in everything. He got the fine points of anethesia from one of the best in the business and looked over the shoulder of a world-class surgeon as stich by stich Johan was transformed. Then in post-op Jeff learned from Johan's mother, Erica, just what life was like for Johan growing up with a cleft lip and being called "cleft boy" by other kids. She told him that even though Johan was constantly ridiculed and teased, he never gave up. Now he won't have to. Jeff turned to the camera and in no uncertain terms encouraged viewers to get off the couch and do something wonderful. Do something for someone less fortunate. Do something that matters.
What a day in Nicaragua. The team will be here for two more days, but Jim and I fly out tomorrow, heading home richer by far and full of memories that will last a lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment