Global Smile Foundation (GSF) volunteers have been involved with humanitarian cleft programs in Ecuador for more than 3 decades and we are now the largest provider of comprehensive cleft care in Ecuador. Throughout this time, we have maintained relationships with our patients and their families, many of whom have grown up to volunteer with us and one has even joined our staff as a full-time employee.
GSF supports a Comprehensive Cleft Center at Hospital León Becerra to provide a full range of integrated and interdisciplinary cleft care throughout the year, at no cost to all patients and their families. The center is managed by Fundación Global Smile-Ecuador, established in 2012 to ensure the sustainability of GSF’s humanitarian work.
As GSF and Fundación Global Smile-Ecuador have grown, so has the awareness of our humanitarian cleft care outreach programs. To meet the needs of the patient population, GSF added a second annual outreach medical program in 2016.
GSF is grateful to the Gobierno del Guayas for their partnership and support that have been critical to the success of our outreach cleft programs and comprehensive cleft care in Ecuador.
Most Recent Trip: September 5-17, 2023
Impact
Cleft care provided includes:
- 270 Patients screenings
- 223 PCRs done (patients, guardians, & team members)
- 192 Surgical procedures for 70 patients
- 140 Dental procedures for 73 patients
- 168 Psychosocial interventions
- 39 Nutrition consults
- 43 Speech and Language Pathology Sessions
The GSF & GSF-Ecuador Teams
Our team included:
- 17 Surgeons (2 GSF-Ecuador)
- 10 Anesthesia Staff
- 13 OR Nurses
- 6 PACU Nurses
- 1 Periop Nurse
- 5 Pediatricians (3 GSF-Ecuador)
- 8 Dentists (6 GSF-Ecuador)
- 5 Psychologists (GSF-Ecuador)
- 9 Admin Coordinators (4 GSF-Ecuador)
- 1 Photographer
- 2 IT Coordinators
- 1 Nutritionist (GSF-Ecuador)
- 1 Speech and Language Pathologist (GSF-Ecuador)
- 44 Volunteers (GSF-Ecuador)
- 4 International Volunteers