Operation Smile

I usually don't share a lot of advertorials on our family blog, but I'm all for sharing good causes :).  Recently my mom went on a trip to Guatemala to assist as a nurse in 73 surgeries in three days for those in need.  She said it was such an amazing opportunity and experience that she is going back again this summer, and taking my little sister with her!  Thinking about my mom's willingness to help those in need by providing healthcare out of charity made me think of another charity that does a similar thing:

Surely you've heard of Operation Smile before.  This is a medical charity that consists of medical professionals and other people who want to help by providing reconstructive surgery and care for children born with facial deformities.  

A lot of these surgeries consist of repairing cleft lip and cleft palate, which are actually very common.  In fact, a child is born with a cleft every three minutes and 1 in 10 of these children will die before they turn a year old.

I can't imagine having a child with just such a deformity and having to watch them grow up unable to eat, speak, or smile.  Imagine the miracle to behold when Operation Smile is able to provide over 200,000 free surgeries for these children with facial deformities!

Operation Smile currently works in over 60 counties, while training local doctors and strengthening healthcare in developing countries.

You can learn more about their mission HERE.  If you're currently a student, you can help these children while you are helping yourself, saving on textbook costs.  CampusBookRentals.com donates to Operation Smile with every textbook rented.  What a win-win!

Also look into CampusBookRental's new program, called RentBack, where you become the bookstore.  Instead of selling your books back to the bookstore for enough cash to buy a pizza, you instead rent your books to other students and get part of the proceeds every time your book is rented.  Sounds like a sweet deal.  Look into it, little brothers.