Operation Smile United Kingdom

Operation Smile is an international children's medical charity who with our 5000+ Medical volunteers provide free reconstructive surgery to children and young adults suffering from facial deformities (predominantly cleft palate and cleft lips), across the developing world.  Clefts are the 3rd most common birth defect worldwide and it is estimated that a baby is born every 3 minutes with this devastating facial deformity.  The tragedy is far greater than what may seem just an unsightly image.  There are many medical complications for children born with a cleft; difficulty speaking, eating, hearing and breathing, often resulting in slow learning, social exclusion and sometimes malnutrition.