SINGAPORE – More than 230 children in Bhutan have had free surgery for facial deformities in a collaboration between a Singapore-based non-profit and the Tarayana Foundation started by the Queen Mother of Bhutan, Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck.
For her philanthropic efforts such as this, she received the inaugural Smile Asia Philanthropic Visionary Award on Aug 15 from Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Tarayana and Smile Asia, a global alliance of charities aiming to treat facial deformities such as cleft lips and palates, organised volunteers from Singapore to perform surgery on 231 children during medical missions to Bhutan from 2013 to 2019.
After receiving the plaque, the Queen Mother said the surgical procedures organised by Smile Asia can prevent social prejudice and isolation for children born in regions where healthcare is harder to access.
“Due to the dedication of medical professionals who volunteer their expertise, and your invaluable financial support, the miracle of reconstructive surgery has become a reality for families who once faced seemingly insurmountable barriers to treatment,” she said.
“When we support Smile Asia, we are giving more than just medical care – we are giving the gift of confidence and belonging. For many children, birth defects like cleft lip and cleft palate have cast long shadows over their lives. There is no greater legacy than using our resources to make a positive impact.”
The award was presented at Smile Asia Charity Gala, which was held at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on Aug 15.
It was instituted by Smile Asia to honour inspirational leaders who have made substantial contributions to improve the lives of communities.
The recipients of this annual award would also have had notable collaborations with Smile Asia, which comprises seven charities from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, the United States, Japan and Singapore.
Since its founding in 2008, Smile Asia has organised more than 80,000 surgical procedures for children in 13 countries and territories, including Bangladesh, Laos and Indonesia.
The Queen Mother founded Tarayana in 2003 to improve the quality of life for Bhutanese people in rural regions. The non-profit has helped families in over 600 villages in Bhutan by providing support through housing schemes, scholarships, training, and economic development projects.
Speaking at the gala, Dr Balakrishnan stressed the developmental importance of a child being able to smile, and praised the work of the Tarayana Foundation and Smile Asia for providing rural areas with access to cleft lip and palate surgery.
“Smiling is a universal human attribute, and it is hard coded. Beyond the 45 minutes that Vincent takes to perform surgery, it truly transforms the life of that child. Most of us in this room who are parents would know that if you have a child with a developmental abnormality, the burden, the anxiety, the fear, encompasses the whole family,” said Dr Balakrishnan, referring to Smile Asia’s chairman, Dr Vincent Yeow.
“Supporting these charities financially is almost the easier part, but to get organised, to travel, to set up an operating theatre in difficult and inaccessible areas, is far more challenging.”
According to Singapore General Hospital, cleft lip and/or palate is one of the most common types of birth defects, occurring in approximately two in 1,000 live births in Singapore.
