Doe Run Joins Forces With Rotaplast International to Provide Corrective Surgery to 102 Peruvian Children
"Smile in the Andes" campaign brings new smiles and opportunities to children living with congenital malformations.
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB via PR Web
Direct) July 26, 2005 -- Life is difficult for a 15-year-old who is
ridiculed so relentlessly about her looks that she hasn't completed the first
grade. For hundreds of Peruvian children who suffer from congenital
malformations such as cleft lip and cleft palate, this is a reality. But this
month, the lives of 102 of these children have been changed for the better. From
June 25 to July 2, Doe Run Peru, a subsidiary of The Doe Run Company, and
Rotaplast International, a North American philanthropic organization established
by participating Rotary Clubs, sponsored "Smile in the Andes," a program that
provided life-changing corrective surgeries for children from the Peruvian
highland regions of Junin, Huancavaleca, Pasco, Ayacucho and
Huanuco.
This is the second time the two international entities joined
forces to provide entirely free surgeries to children suffering from cleft lips
and cleft palates. Similar to the first "Smile in the Andes" campaign, conducted
in 2000, participating children received screenings and surgeries for free, with
Doe Run Peru covering all of the expenses associated with transportation, the
operation and recovery for the child, and expenses for one additional family
member. Doe Run Peru also provided the use of its facilities and skills of
doctors employed at its hospital in Chulec, just outside of La Oroya, home of
Doe Run Peru's metallurgical complex.
According to Daniel Bronson,
Rotaplast International's mission director for this team and special ambassador
for Peru, the outpouring of local support in La Oroya has been overwhelming.
"Upon our arrival, our team was enthusiastically greeted by crowds towing
banners, singing songs and showering us with flowers and gifts," he said. "Doe
Run opened up their hospital facility and allowed us to take
over."
"Locating children in need was not easy," said Bronson. "Several
local volunteers hiked to small remote towns more than five hours away to get
the word out. Although some villagers had received surgeries from other medical
teams before, most couldn't imagine an opportunity like this. Many Doe Run
volunteers remarked that, at first, prospective patients couldn't believe their
ears. But the success of the first 'Smile in the Andes' mission and the
credibility of Doe Run Peru encouraged participation."
After Doe Run
Peru's Office of Social Welfare and the Wives Committee, comprised of the wives
of the officers of the company, performed preliminary evaluations and selected
180 candidates, an international team of 41 plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists,
pediatricians, dentists, translators, various specialists and nurses from eight
countries and 10 U.S. states completed the most intense, rewarding phase of the
"Smile in the Andes" mission. For seven days, volunteers performed an average of
15 surgeries per day in three busy operating rooms. Some of these surgeries were
so complex that patients required several interventions. In all, 148 free
surgeries were performed on 102 children ranging from 3 months to 18 years old.
"It's easy to see the difference made by the repair of a gap in the face
of an infant; however, we have also met teenagers of various ages, who can now
return to school without fear," Bronson said. "For these children, we are
changing their lives, their families' lives and their futures."
Some of
the touching stories from the campaign:
* Teresa, a soft-spoken and shy girl
of 14, came from a tiny village of just 30 people, where she was the only person
with a cleft lip. As a younger child, she started her first year of school, but
dropped out because the other kids teased her. On June 28, her lip and palate
were repaired. Her mother waited in the recovery room, then cried at her
bedside, expressing her relief and gratitude.
* Olivia, a sweet and serious
young woman, talked eagerly with the medical team. Though 17, she's in her third
year of primary school, after being held back and teased because of a speech
impediment. Nervous about surgery, she said she hoped that she would "talk
correctly" afterwards.
* Dr. William Walker of Rotaplast reflected on his
patients' reactions: "I saw a father weep when he saw his son, 2-year-old Jose,
after surgery; and again on June 30, when his other son, 3-year-old Esaul, had
his bilateral cleft lip repaired. It's amazing to see how powerful the results
can be."
"It's been extremely rewarding getting involved and witnessing
how people's lives have transformed," said Dr. Juan Carlos Huyhua, vice
president and manager of operations of Doe Run Peru. "When we were approached to
participate in this program several years ago, we were excited about the
opportunity and wanted to help. We couldn't have done it without such great
teamwork."
"Thanks to members of the medical community from around the
world, multinational Rotarians with open hearts and willing hands, and Doe Run,
a company that chooses to support the communities of its employees, 'Smile in
the Andes' has become an incredible success," added Bronson.
Rotaplast
International has performed similar work across South America and around the
world for almost 15 years. Together, the cooperative efforts of Rotaplast
International and Doe Run Peru have changed the lives of 207 children since
2000.
The Doe Run Company, along with its subsidiaries, is a privately
held natural resource company focused on environmentally sound mineral
production, recycling and metals fabrication. Based in St. Louis, the company
and its subsidiaries serve as North America's largest integrated lead producer
and third-largest total lead producer worldwide, employing more than 4,000
people. The company and its employees are committed to keeping its operations
and communities clean and safe while producing essential raw materials – lead,
zinc, copper, gold and silver – that are needed for everyday life. Doe Run and
its subsidiaries have U.S. operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona, and
South American operations in Peru. For more information, visit http://www.doerun.com.
Editor's Note:Photos are available in JPG format. Please contact Kristin
Saunders at ksaunders @ standingpr.com or (314) 469-3500 for the
file.
Contact:
Christi Dixon
(314) 469-3500
http://www.doerun.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb266013.htm