24/10/2025
Earlier this year I had the extraordinary privilege of participating in something that reminded me why I chose this profession. Alongside 51 dedicated medical professionals, we performed cleft lip and palate surgeries on 40 children at the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital—procedures that will fundamentally change these young lives.
What struck me most wasn't just the surgical outcomes, though those were deeply gratifying. It was witnessing the relief on parents' faces when they saw their children for the first time post-operation. It was knowing that these children, who might have waited years in our overburdened public healthcare system, would now grow up without the functional and social challenges that untreated clefts impose.
This initiative, a collaboration between Operation Smile, the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital, and Life Healthcare, went beyond individual surgeries. We focused on skills transfer, working alongside local healthcare workers to build sustainable capacity. Lasting change isn't about one surgical drive—it's about strengthening our healthcare system to serve these children long after we've left.
Every team member volunteered their time and expertise. We came from different backgrounds and institutions, united by a shared conviction: that every child deserves access to specialised care, regardless of their family's financial circumstances.
These moments remind me that medicine, at its core, is about restoring dignity and function to those who need it most. When we can do that for vulnerable children, it's not just surgery—it's hope made tangible.
This is why we became doctors.
