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One of the primary objectives of Children's Surgery International, formerly part of Operation Smile, is to provide real life experiences that help young people learn that they are capable of adding to the sum of the world's goodness. Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve”. |
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| Our smile missions give students the opportunity to find that happiness through a perspective adjustment. First, they come to know that with a little bit of effort and ingenuity they can change a child's life forever. That is a powerful lesson to learn while you are young. Some of our students choose to sacrifice a luxury in their own lives in order to help a child receive life-changing surgery and some create crazy projects like polar bear plunges into the frozen lakes of Minnesota. |
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Over the past ten years our students have come up with projects that work well in the culture of their own schools and we are constantly amazed at the wild and wonderful projects they initiate.
Students have been members of our medical teams to Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, North Viet Nam, Gaza and Morocco. One of our Venezuelan student volunteers was given the opportunity to come to the United States to learn ways to further the work we were doing for children in his country. Our youth team members have the opportunity to select their school's sponsored child and they follow that child from intake through surgery and recovery.
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The student has the privilege of being the team member to hand the child to his/her tearful mother when the child leaves the recovery room. Schools have many trophies that represent victory, but this kind of victory, the photograph of the child whose life they have forever changed, has a ripple effect over the school when a child's miracle becomes everyone's miracle. |
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| For information on how your school can become involved contact: Surgery International Youth Coordinator (612) 746-4082 youthcoord@childrenssurgeryintl.org
Other organizations which perform similar services are Operation Smile and Smile Train.
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