DESINCO Limited has teamed up with international charitable organisation Smile Train to help seven toddlers from the hinterland, who recently benefitted from cleft-lip and palate surgeries.

A cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth, while a cleft lip is an opening in the upper lip. Many children with cleft lips and palates are unfortunately stared at, ridiculed and at times neglected for their appearance and speech. They are forced to navigate life with their smiles hidden.

Fortunately, with the help of the Smile Train team and DeSinco Limited, the toddlers will now have their “forever smile”

The local Smile Train team is headed by plastic surgeon Dr Shilindra Rajkumar and includes doctors from the Plastic Surgery, Paediatrics, Maxillo-facial Surgery and Anaesthesia Departments. They are supported by a core team of theatre and ward nurses.

From September 2019 to now, the team, which is constantly expanding, has restored the smiles of over 30 children.

This year, DeSinco Limited joined the initiative and sponsored a total of seven children from the hinterland regions, who needed urgent relief from their condition.

The company handled the transportation and accommodation needs of the children and their guardians. This included flights from the hinterland to Georgetown. The surgeries were performed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Executive Chairman, Frank DeAbreu, told the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday that in April the company helped three children from Regions One, Seven and Eight. The company later assisted an additional four children from Regions One and Nine.

“We are fortunate to have and therefore it is our social conscience to help …We have allocated a part of our last year’s net profit to give to a needy cause. It makes me smile when children are happy because they’re born unfortunately this way and then with the help of companies like us and the government, they are able to recover,” DeAbreu said.

The businessman added that it warms his heart to see the transformation of the children post-surgery and to see smiles on their faces.

He used the opportunity to call on other businesses to join efforts to help children with cleft lips and palates get a new lease on life.