Operation Smile provides free cleft lip and palate surgery to children and young adults in over 60 countries, delivered by volunteer medical professionals. The organisation says it costs as little as $240 and as few as 45 minutes to transform a child's life through surgery; volunteer medical missions typically treat dozens of patients over several days in one location.
A one-off equivalent to Smile Train above: both fund cleft surgery, so compare whether a monthly gift or a single donation tied to one surgery fits you better. Operation Smile's volunteer medical missions treating dozens of patients in one location over a few days also means a single trip can reach many children at once, rather than one at a time.
Where the money goes
Medical team costs, surgical supplies and shipping for a single cleft surgery, cited at around $240.
