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Smile Train working to improve lives

Spotlight on: Suffolk Smile Train

Published: Saturday, November 7, 2009

Updated: Saturday, November 7, 2009 01:11

Smile Train

The Smile Train

The Smile Train is an international organization that is responsible for over 500,000 life changing cleft lip repair surgeries within the past ten years. This charity is unique because the members of this group are focused and passionate about solving one single problem: cleft lip and palate.

Suffolk junior John McDonnell was responsible for bringing a chapter of the Smile Train to Suffolk last year, and serves as the group's president. The members of the group are Ryan Berry, Carrie Ray, Nick Holt, Russell Dukett, and Ryan Young. The group won the SGA Leadership Award for Best New Student Organization last spring.

"Suffolk was nothing but encouraging, they helped me all the time with providing useful literature, bands, t-shirts and other effective marketing and promotional tools," he said.

The Smile Train was originally started by Charles B. Wang in 1999. According to the Smile Train website, there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts in developing countries, cannot eat or speak properly, and aren't allowed to attend school or hold a job.

The mission of the Smile Train is to provide free cleft surgery for millions of poor children in developing countries, in addition to providing free cleft-related training for doctors and medical professionals. The surgery takes as little as 45 minutes at a cost as little as $250, according to the Smile Train website.

McDonnell was very firm in stating that the Smile Train organization as a whole will not stop helping children until they have completely eradicated the problem of clefts.

"Amazing organizations like the Smile Train provide life changing ‘little miracles' as I like to call them and open doors that were never dreamed of for these children, helping families," he stated.

McDonnell emphasized the work of Suffolk's Smile Train chapter. The group arranged numerous events on campus, such as a private screening of "Smile Pinki," the award winning documentary which inspired McDonnell to reach out to children whenever possible.

The group works to inform the student body of their mission on campus, which they hope will result in a substantial amount of funding contributions to the organization at large.

"The great thing about our student group in particular is that we are small in size, but large in impact and work ethic," said McDonnell. "I am lucky enough to be surrounded by a group of students who share a passion to provide insight and work to ultimately promote awareness to the student body and community."

The group as a whole feels that the success they've experienced is due in large part to the support that they have received from several on campus clubs. The Smile Train is welcoming with open arms to any club that wants to approach them or simply share advice.

McDonnell stated that he sees a tremendous potential to increase awareness and "grow this club into a strong, effective campaign for the betterment of children across the globe."

To get involved with the Smile Train, contact them on Facebook at "Smile Train Suffolk University" or via email at suffolkforsmiletrain@gmail.com.

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