Growing up disfigured has a huge impact on the lives of children. Just look at these statistics.
Every 3 minutes, a child with a cleft and lip palate is born. In the Philippines, 1 in 500 children born has a cleft and lip palate condition, a gap in the mouth that did not close during the early stages of pregnancy.
Every year, about 4,500 Filipino babies are born with this condition.
As a mother, I can already imagine how this will affect children with this deformity. Very low self-esteem. Huge possibility that the child will grow up being bullied. Malnutrition, due to the inability to eat well. Poor social interaction. Limited job opportunities.
Organizations like Operation Smile Philippines (OSP) have helped children with this condition since 1982 with medical missions participated in by doctors and other medical and non-medical volunteers. For the last nine years, Watsons Philippines has partnered with OSP and, in the process, transformed the lives of 1,986 patients. This year, Watsons once again partners with OSP as part of its mission to Look Good, Do Good, Feel Good.
Continue reading “Watsons continues to change lives — one smile at a time”