MISSION SOURIRES D'AFRIQUE

How can we say "No"?

2010-02-11T19:38:00.001-05:00

Each year media reports and word-of-mouth bring us many patients, children and adults, sometimes coming from far away, who have various malformations or deformities and wish to be treated by our team.

Unfortunately, many have serious diseases or infections that fall out of the scope of our Mission and cannot be treated because of the lack of time, equipment and/or adequate postoperative follow-up.

One can understand how the triage done by the surgeons and pediatrician requires tact, courage and sometimes firmness. It is so difficult to say no to these parents who otherwise, in our Canadian system, would see their loved ones treated and cured! How can we say no when we have the expertise, the experience and especially, the heart to do it?

Sometimes, we can make exceptions; sometimes the suffering is so significant and the improvement so close to reach that we have to make exceptions!

This was the case for Amadou, a 3 year old boy severely burned 4 months ago when he fell over a pot of boiling oil. He suffered deep burns to his left arm, flank and thigh. The slow healing and contracting scar left him with his thumb stuck to his forearm, and his elbow held in flexion by a thick band of tissue. Our team worked on his arm for more than 2 hours, from the elbow down to the thumb, opening up the scars and applying skin grafts. He will need time to heal, painful exercices and more surgery on his fingers, but he will gradually be able to use his arm to feed, play and eventually work. He was the last one operated on this trip; we finished past 8h30 pm (1 hour later for the recovery room team), but everyone had a big smile on their face!

Mamounia also could be treated. A fragile 16 month old, the poor baby’s face is attacked by noma, a terrible infection which has destroyed her upper lip, maxilla and nose. She had just arrived in terrible shape, unable to feed, to the NGO "Au fil de la vie" with which we collaborate. Thanks to our care, this morning she was able to feed and she will slowly improve now that the infectious process has been stabilized.

There was also Nia, a 32 year old mother of three, who suffers from a severe form of neurofibromatosis. Over the years, she became gradually disfigured by a large benign tumor which totally covered her left eye and brought her to us, with her head bent down and her face covered with a scarf...and shame. Today, six days after the surgery, Nia is totally transformed. The large lump is gone, the swelling over her eye is decreasing, and it seems like some eyesight is preserved. She may not look completely normal, but at least she will be able to work freely in the fields with her daughters and proudly walk holding her husband’s arm!

Marie-Claude Lacroix
Bénévole

Be patient...

2010-02-10T17:39:00.001-05:00

As we are working on completing some English testimonies, we are pleased to share with you the following French texts:

A petits pas...

2010-02-10T17:28:00.003-05:00

«Les parents ne peuvent donner que deux choses à leurs enfants : des racines et des ailes.»
"Parents can only give two things to their children: Roots and wings."
Proverbe chinois/ Chinese proverb

Cette deuxième mission sur un même site nous permet de prendre un peu plus de recul. Au-delà de ces sourires réparés qui nous procurent instantanément gratitude et allégresse, nous devons demeurer humbles sur la portée réelle de nos actions.

À l’instar des bâtiments qui s’érigent à un rythme qui dépend des ressources disponibles - et dont certains me semblent inchangés depuis l’année dernière - il faut toujours garder en tête que pour assurer une certaine pérennité à ce que l’on fait, certains principes de base doivent être respectés. En outre, nous devons continuellement faire un effort pour contrer cette tendance naturelle de vouloir «évangéliser» les gens plus vulnérables auxquels nous souhaitons apporter notre soutien. Partir de ce qu’ils savent et respecter les moyens qu’ils ont est le modus operandi d’un réel transfert de savoir-faire.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais fier de voir leurs petites ailes se déployer, ce sont leurs racines qui m’intriguent davantage. Car derrière ce chaos, se cache nécessairement une forme d’équilibre dont la symbolique des us et coutumes m’est impossible à décoder.

À travers leurs récits personnels et leurs trajectoires souvent entachées de blessures et de cicatrices, j’ai été touché par les valeurs profondes de ce peuple - que je connais bien peu - empreintes de dignité, de respect, de résilience et d’espoir. Plusieurs de celles-ci heurtent ou pour le moins contrastent avec celles dans lesquelles nous vivons.

On perçoit les strates sociales et ses iniquités, le pluralisme et ses enjeux pourtant sans grande tension sociale apparente. On est surtout happé par les véritables déterminants sociaux de la santé pour lesquels on se sent immensément impuissants; voilà la véritable humilité à laquelle je faisais allusion et qui, une fois avouée, me permet d’apprécier les grands pas de complicité qui se tissent entre les équipes, autant dans nos rapports humains que dans le partage d’expertise, le tout sur une toile encore fragile mais dont des petits pas ont déjà laissé leurs traces…

L’importance que semble prendre la place des enfants dans cette société est remarquable. Quiconque a à cœur la promotion et la défense des droits et intérêts des enfants devrait s’en inspirer. C’est, sur un plan personnel, le principal legs que me laissera cette belle aventure.

«Ça prend tout un village pour élever un enfant.»
"It takes a whole village to raise a child."
Proverbe africain / African proverb

Jean Turgeon
Pédiatre

If you want to go far...

2010-02-08T14:03:00.002-05:00

Un chirurgien africain nous a « éduqués » avec le proverbe suivant :
« Si tu veux aller vite, vas-y seul;
mais si tu veux aller loin, vas-y avec les autres. »
(If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, wait for the others)

C’est dans cette optique que l’équipe MSA cherche à travailler : Enfants opérés en transmettant les techniques aux chirurgiens de Bamako, troisième table chirurgicale pour l’enseignement, et aujourd’hui (samedi 6 février), des conférences de formation données par les membres de notre équipe.

Voici le programme des conférences :
15h10 Recommandations pour le personnel de salle d’opération
Lucie Ferland, infirmière clinicienne

15h25 Rôle de l’assistant anesthésiste
Suzanne Ouimet, inhalothérapeute

15h40 L’OMS et la promotion de la sécurité péri-opératoire
Dr Geneviève Côté, anesthésiste

16h00 Evaluation préopératoire chez l’enfant
Dr Jean Turgeon, pédiâtre

16h20 La reconstruction du visage
Dr Roger Delorme, chirurgien plastique

16h55 Le traitement des fentes labiopalatines
Dr Louise Caouette-Laberge, chirurgien plastique

17h30 Discussion
18h00 Collation

Les invitations avaient été faites par le Dr Traoré, et l’événement fût un grand succès : plus de 50 participants, incluant médecins, infirmières, techniciens et étudiants provenant de plusieurs hôpitaux de Bamako. Les questions ont été nombreuses, et les discussions fructueuses, autant dans la salle de conférence que pendant le goûter qui a suivi.
On peut dire que les ponts sont définitivement établis, non seulement avec le Dr Traoré, mais aussi avec l’équipe d’ORL de l’hôpital universitaire Gabriel Touré.

D’autant plus que de jeudi à samedi, nous avions la visite de M. Rémi Adeucens, qui est le représentant de Smile Train pour toute l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Notre but est que le Dr Hamady Traoré et d’autres chirurgiens de Bamako atteignent un niveau d’expertise tel que Smile Train pourra subventioner directement la chirurgie des fentes labio-palatines pour tous les patients. Enfin les enfants du Mali pourront se faire opérer sans frais, et sans devoir attendre le passage d’équipes de bénévoles étrangers comme la nôtre. M. Adeucens a semblé enchanté de sa visite, non seulement de ce qu’il a vu ici, mais aussi du potentiel que MSA représente pour former d’autres équipes en Afrique francophone.

Lorsque les équipes locales seront accréditées par Smile Train, notre rôle sera plus limité, et notre expertise sera utile surtout pour les cas plus complexes (et ça, il y en a!) et nous aurons le sourire du devoir accompli!

A FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIP!

2010-01-26T10:01:00.003-05:00

Africa Smiles Mission wishes to thank OASIS FRUITZOO for its important financial support to its imminent mission in Bamako, Mali.

TO BE ON TRACK!

2010-01-22T05:41:00.005-05:00

In collaboration with SMILETRAIN, a worldwide organization, Mission Sourires d'Afrique/Africa Smiles Mission provides free surgery for cleft lip and palate to children as well as education and training grants for doctors and medical professionals.

2009-10-17T03:18:00.013-04:00

NEXT MISSION: MALI from January 29 to February 13, 2010

Building upon last year's successful experience, Dr. Louise C. Laberge and her team are preparing to return to Bamako in February 2010 to continue healing children's smiles and training local medical professionals.

Please help us transform as many lives as possible by donating generously at: ww.fondation-sainte-justine.org/Home

Important: Please don't forget to write "Mission Sourires d'Afrique" in the "Comments/Notes" field when completing the donation information at the above-mentioned web site.

Thank you for your precious support!

Dream Team

2009-02-17T16:04:00.002-05:00

Everyone is now back in Montreal. We left Bamako late Friday night, flew first to Paris, and arrived in Montreal on Saturday afternoon around 15:00pm. All the medical equipment bags arrived with us as well – phew! I visited Sainte-Justine Hospital yesterday to return some of our medical equipment and chatted with Louise Laberge (Chef de Mission), Jean Turgeon (paediatrician), and Patty Bortoluzzi (plastic surgeon). Everyone seems to be adjusting back to Montreal winter life after a high octane experience in Mali.

All in all, the mission was a success on many levels. The medical team operated on 65 patients (a total of 66 operations - one patient required two separate surgeries). The vast majority of the operations were for cleft lip/palate conditions (i.e. well over 50) and we had a high proportion of very young patients. The teaching/training side of the mission went very well as demonstrated by a high level of interest and involvement from two male doctors from Mali and a female doctor from Burkina Faso. As I watched some of the surgeries last Wednesday in the operating room, I also noticed our nurses showing the Malian nurses how to best assist the surgeons during the operations with helpful tips on how to pass instruments back and forth to allow for maximum efficiency and a high level of safety in an operating room environment. As a non-medical person, I enjoyed not only the instructions I overheard but also the fact that each instruction was accompanied by the reason why a certain method was better/safer than other options. In addition to the operating room training, Louise Laberge and one of our anaesthetists, Geneviève Côté, also gave presentations related to their respective fields of expertise to about twenty people at the CHME one afternoon.

On Friday morning, we visited the CHME for the last time and packed our equipment and supplies for the journey home. Bernard Fougères (photographer) and I were chatting with Dr. Hamady Traoré in our admin/photography room when Dr. Traoré pointed down at another patient who had entered the room without us noticing. As with all the other patients evaluated during our stay, we took a few pictures from a variety of angles but decided that the medical team would likely not operate at such late notice given the fact that our stealth patient looked very healthy and had 6 legs!

Some of the team members visited the Grand Marché in the afternoon to test their negotiating skills one last time. We then made our way to the reception near the presidential palace that was hosted by the First Lady, Madame Touré Lobbo Traoré. It was our first time in that part of Bamako and we all enjoyed the view of the city and the Niger River from an elevated point of view. It reminded us (a bit) of being at the lookout on Mount Royal in Montreal during the summer. We were all presented with gifts to thank us for our efforts and to remind us of our time in Mali. The President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, then visited with our group briefly and spoke about the importance of helping people with conditions like cleft lip/palate in order to help them fully integrate into Malian society. We considered his presence to be a very thoughtful gesture on his part especially in light of the fact that the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, was in Bamako on the 12th and 13th as part of a four country tour of Africa. Needless to say, his visit was huge news in Mali last week.

Well, that pretty much wraps up this year`s Mission Sourires d’Afrique. We hope you enjoyed the English and French updates (see www.missionsouriresdafrique.org for the French blog). We will spend the coming weeks finalizing our report of the mission and the team will likely then get together to enjoy each other`s company once again and discuss the mission’s highlights having had a little more time to reflect on our mutual experiences. It was a great privilege for me to work with such an amazing group of people including both medical and non-medical personnel. It was a true “dream team”.

All the best,
Geoffrey Adams

Priceless!

2009-02-13T14:41:00.003-05:00

It's all over but the crying

2009-02-12T14:11:00.004-05:00

It's all over but the crying.

Well, that's not exactly true. The tears started last night (yes, even for some men) when we were viewing the cool music-enhanced video that was created by one of our senior surgeons, Dr. Patricia Bortoluzzi, prior to her return to Montreal early Tuesday morning. We were attending a reception at the Canadian Embassy and celebrating the success of Mission Sourires d'Afrique. The Embassy is beautiful and it was our first time visiting that part of Bamako (Cité du Niger). Based on reviews to date, we are certain Patty can launch a 2nd career if she decides to move away from plastic surgery for some reason. The evening came to an end with our group picture in our new Mali-style mission shirts and the singing of our funny mission song that was written by two of our nurses, Lyse Giguère and Linda Blanchard. We were quickly escorted off the premises (just kidding...we think they liked it).

Today was a very special day because all the patients returned to the CHME to be looked at one last time by the Canadian surgeons and surgical residents along with the staff of the CHME including Dr. Hamady Troaré (see picture for his Tuareg-style nomad look...he showed us how to tie the scarf as well) and Dr. Ouane, the paediatrician. It was a very powerful scene because over 60 patients and families arrived at the hospital around the same time. I think everyone involved in the mission, including patients, family members, Canadian and Malian medical and administrative staff, finally realized the scale of what was achieved (yes, more tears).

We used this time to take some post-op pictures of all the patients (65 in the end) after several days of recovery in some cases (compared to our first post-op pictures the day after surgery). The change given just a few extra days is remarkable. We also got everyone together for a massive group picture. We did the same thing in Burkina Faso (don't worry - we will post the picture in the future). We then spent our time taking pictures of the CHME teams (medical, admin...and of course the wonderful chef Awa's team in the kitchen) and we gave each person a copy for their personal scrapbooks; they really appreciated the gesture (and we really appreciated our amazingly small Canon photo printer and its ability to print hundreds of pictures).

We then gathered up a few things and made our way back to the hotel after one more of Awa's tasty lunches. Six of our adventurous team members decided to do a day trip to Ségou (240 km) so we look forward to their stories later tonight upon their return. We will certainly be sampling some of the local beers (Flag and Castel) as we listen to their tall tales.

We will return to the CHME tomorrow to finish packing up our medical equipment/supplies and saying good-bye to everyone at "Le Luxembourg". Tomorrow night, we are invited by the First Lady, Mme. Touré, to a "5 à 7" as we would say at the presidential palace. I believe it is on a high point of land so we are looking forward to some great views of Bamako. After that, we head off to the airport for our return flights to Montreal via Paris.

Time to pack!

Geoffrey Adams

If you build it they will come

2009-02-10T19:13:00.018-05:00

It is late Tuesday night and the past two days have been very active. The screening area in the new wing of the hospital continues to see a lot of pedestrian traffic. After a rest on Sunday, the pace picked up considerably yesterday morning. The waiting area filled up quickly and the morning came and went without anyone noticing the time. Dr. Jean Turgeon and Dr. Jean-Martin Laberge were very busy along with local doctors Traoré (surgeon) and Ouane (paediatrician) evaluating the new patients, some of whom had travelled hundreds of kilometres to get to the CHME in Bamako. We ended up screening 21 more patients, the second largest amount since our first day of screening on February 2nd. The nice part about yesterday's flurry of activity was that we had 8 new cleft lip/palate patients by day`s end; several of these patients were operated on today and the rest are scheduled for tomorrow.

As it stands, our final schedule is set. Six operations are scheduled for tomorrow. We have been very fortunate to have had so many eligible patients make their way to the CHME over the last couple of weeks. We have screened 134 patients so far and if everything goes according to plan tomorrow, we will have operated on 64 patients during our time in Bamako. Of the remaining patients, we have created patient files for potential follow-up by local medical personnel and possibly even other medical missions by international NGOs in the future. As in Burkina Faso in 2007, we observed and recorded a variety of conditions among the 134 patients. Once again, the medical team did their best to operate on those we could help given our overall focus on cleft lip/palate surgery while also maintaining a high standard of patient care.

The word that comes to mind the most is "transformation". We (i.e. me and my photographer colleague, Bernard Fougères) often look at the before and after pictures in our "work station" and say out loud...or in our thoughts,"hold on...is that the same person"? In many ways, I guess the immediate gut reaction answer is "no". But the more I get to observe the person/child along with their families, I often come to the conclusion that although the face has changed, the people we have met here retained their inner beauty and incredible spirit the entire time. Then I start to wonder about who is really benefiting most from these missions - us or them?

Enjoy the pictures. And trust me, when they recover a little more, their smiles (and laughter) will fill the room!

Take care out there.

Geoffrey Adams

A few names and places

2009-02-08T18:45:00.023-05:00

Our Saturday "half day" ended in the mid-afternoon after 5 successful operations. The team then enjoyed some spirited African market bargaining in the late afternoon at the Grand Marché. Thinking back, I now believe the best strategy is to sit in a bus with your window down in the parking lot and let all the merchants approaching the bus know that the bus is leaving. Almost immediately, prices drop by up to 80%.

Today, a small group went to the hospital in the morning to check on yesterday's patients to ensure everything was going according to plan given the different nature of the surgeries involved. We then boarded our bus and made our way out of the city for the first time. We headed for Siby about 45 minutes away and enjoyed a tasty picnic lunch when we arrived. Some of us then visited the local shea butter/beurre de karité female cooperative of producers. I was happy to see a Canadian flag and read in their French-language brochure that they receive technical and financial aid from the Centre Canadien d'Études et de Coopération Internationale (CECI) and the Programme Québécois de Développement International (PQDI).

After a short drive, we then hiked into a beautiful area to see the Arch of Kamandjan (a historical site) and some caves. I guess it could be described as Mali`s version of Percé Rock in Gaspé. Everyone really enjoyed the beautiful scenery and a little exercise in the fresh air after 6 days at the hospital. A day of R&R was just what the doctor (or the many doctors, that is) ordered.

Monday is a big day. We have 11 operations on the day's schedule right now. Time for everyone to get some rest! We are in the home stretch now and there are many families (incl. names like Coulibaly, Diarra, Keita, and Traoré) still counting on the medical team`s "A game" in the coming days.

All the best,

Geoffrey Adams

The first week comes to a close on a happy note

2009-02-06T18:32:00.017-05:00

It is Friday night in Bamako and it has now been one week since we left Montreal. The team is enjoying each other`s company and there is no doubt that this is proving to be a powerful experience for many of the team members. Many of us come from different backgrounds but it is obvious for all to see that this mission has indeed united us with one common goal during our stay in Bamako. Dr. Roger Delorme, one of the three senior surgeons, perhaps put it best when he was asked for his comments last night at dinner during a de-briefing session on the day`s activities. He said something to the effect that everything was going well and that he was "sur un high" and that he did not want anyone to bring him down from there. This is his first humanitarian mission and I think it is safe to say that it is exceeding his expectations.

Today was a very active day for the medical team of doctors and nurses but you could tell they were ready and they had their "game face" on early and throughout the day. Everything went very smoothly during the 9 operations and the team actually finished up earlier than normal. They used the end of the day to visit with patients recovering from previous surgeries. Happiness was in the air and many pictures were taken with patients and their families. As with most "jobs", it is always nice to hear laughter and be in good spirits at the end of a long work week.

Given our brief time in Mali, however, there are still 5 operations planned for tomorrow. After completing what has been termed as a "half-day" (that must mean 12 hours for doctors and nurses!), we will leave our current hotel and move to an officer's mess a little further away from the CHME than we are now. One of the people helping us out on the logistics front is Souleymane Sidibé, a 20-yr old who has spent some time in Montreal. He is the son of a colonel in the Malian army and his father has been kind enough to help arrange accommodations for the second week of our stay. I am keen to see the differences between an officer's mess in Canada and one in the capital of Mali!

Since we left the CHME in daylight, we were able to wander around the area surrounding the CHME for awhile. We took in a little local soccer and a local gathering of serious babyfoot/fussball players. I felt it was best not to challenge anyone to a match. We did not want to ruin a good week!

Enjoy your weekend.

Regards,

Geoffrey Adams

After lots of planning, the surgeries begin!

2009-02-05T11:48:00.010-05:00

Day 3 of surgeries started earlier today. There were 7 operations on Day 1 as well as 10 operations on Day 2. Today, there are 6 surgeries planned across 3 operating tables in two rooms. One of the main objectives is to focus on the training component of the mission and in order to maximize the transfer of knowledge, there will be many Canadian and Malian doctors and nurses collaborating in a surgery room dedicated to teaching.

Team members have now settled into a comfortable rhythm. We leave our hotel at 07:15am every morning and get to the CHME in 10 minutes or less. The doctors, residents, and nurses then visit the patients from the previous day to review their progress and speak to their parents or guardians; post-op pictures are taken at this time as well. The operating teams begin their day at 08:00am and operations are planned to begin every 2 hours for the most part with the exception of more complicated procedures. At the end of the day, two nurses remain to ensure the final patients recover well from the anaesthesia; they usually get back to the hotel between 21:00pm and 22:00pm. The team has been fortunate to date in the sense that there have been no health issues (yet!); hopefully, our good fortune will continue on that front...time will tell, of course.

Yesterday was an interesting day from a media standpoint as we were visited by the First Lady of Mali, Mrs. Touré; she is also the head of the foundation that is closely linked to the CHME. During her time here, we presented the amazing chief of surgery at the CHME, Dr. Hamady Traoré, with a dermatome machine as a gift to the CHME from the Canadian medical team. Although I was not in the room at the time, he supposedly told someone that thanks to the dermatome machine, “we will not lose any more burn victims”. Based on our experiences in Mali this year and in Burkina Faso in 2007, we know full well that a dermatome machine (imagine the equivalent of a carpenter’s plane...but for skin grafts, not wood) will be very well used. Another benefit of the visit by the First Lady is the resulting media exposure for the mission; we hope to see many new patients as a result. So far, we have screened a total of 89 patients and we have another 9 surgeries planned for tomorrow and another 5 planned for Saturday. That will bring our total to 37 operations.

We will take a break on Sunday and resume the operating schedule on Monday. I would love to tell you some interesting stories about Bamako and Mali but we really have not had a chance to look around too much. We look forward to taking in some of the local culture Saturday night and Sunday during our day off.

I will keep you updated over the coming days.

Regards,

Geoffrey Adams

Let the games begin!

2009-02-03T18:40:00.002-05:00

Good evening from Bamako!

The team left Montreal Friday night and arrived safe and sound on Saturday night in Bamako, the nation’s capital. We were met by a variety of people at the airport including two Montrealers who had come down a week earlier to help organize the mission “on the ground” including the recruitment of patients from Bamako and other regions of Mali. Serge Poitras is an Honorary Consul of Mali (in Montreal) and Dr. Bazet is Malian-born and came to Canada in 1992 in his mid-twenties. It certainly helps to have people on the team who have developed an understanding of both the Malian and Quebec/Canadian cultures; and it definitely does not hurt knowing that Dr. Bazet speaks not only French but also the five national languages including Bambara. Although the official language is French, most of the patients and their families only speak one or more of the national languages.

Our luggage also arrived with the exception of 3 bags out of our 26 bags of medical equipment and supplies. Fortunately, Air France was able to locate our bags and get them to us on Sunday night.

Sunday was a fairly relaxed day. We started the day by scoping out the Centre Hospitalier Mère-Enfant Le Luxembourg (CHME) to see if all our equipment would work taking into account the local facilities, differences in electricity, etc. We also wanted to plan what parts of the hospital we would use to manage the process of screening the many children/families that would appear starting on Monday morning. After lunch, we explored Bamako a little and took a type of canoe ride (with guides) on the Niger River. All boats eventually returned to land and there were no cries of ``man overboard``!

The action started on Monday morning but we were well prepared and organized to screen the many patients who had made short/long journeys to the Bamako hospital. By day`s end, we had screened 63 patients. As usual, there were a variety of conditions including cleft lip, cleft palate, burns, etc. The age of the patients ranged from only days old to 51 years old. The doctors reviewed the files later in the day and felt there was a possibility of 35+ operations within the current group of 63 patients. When organizing missions of this nature, one of the main concerns after all the preparation and travel is making sure there are enough patients once you arrive; after day 1 of screening, I think everyone relaxed a little knowing that the message had reached the communities and people were coming. There was also some media coverage of the first day with the intent of sending out more information to the public about our mission and its objectives (via radio and television). Given the fact we are here for two weeks, we hope people will hear the news and still have enough time to make their way to Bamako for treatment before we leave.

The first seven surgeries took place today. We plan on using at least two operating tables daily and three tables on days where our surgeons will work and train side by side with their Malian partners. We have been very happy to see how interested the local doctors and nurses are in working with our team. Dr. Hamady Traoré has been extremely helpful and he is very keen for his staff to get as much hands-on exposure with our team as possible. We could not have asked for a better start!

More news soon!

Regards,

Geoffrey Adams

Louise Laberge on CBC TV

2009-01-27T11:07:00.001-05:00

A Second Chance at Life with a New Smile

2008-12-31T02:53:00.000-05:00

That is the objective of Mission Sourires d’Afrique. It is a volunteer-based and donor-funded initiative that provides facial reconstructive surgery to African children, enabling them not only to smile again but also to eat and speak properly, develop a sense of self-confidence, and become more involved in their communities as a result.
Although facial reconstructive surgery is very common and successful in our society, it remains a significant challenge for doctors and medical professionals working in developing countries. That is why our specialists are keen to support local medical personnel in Africa and help educate and train them so they are aware of the most up to date surgical skills and techniques. That is not to imply, however, that our specialists do not learn something new as well from their African colleagues!

Mission Sourires d’Afrique is the result of the collaborative efforts among a diverse group of medical volunteers (surgeons, anaesthetists, paediatricians, nurses, inhalation therapists) who joined forces with volunteers from a variety of unrelated backgrounds (business, arts, etc.) to organize and finance humanitarian surgical missions of this nature for the children of Africa.

Our Mission's Slideshow

2008-08-11T03:01:00.000-04:00

A Word from Dr. Louise Caouette-Laberge, Chef de Mission

2008-08-01T07:35:00.004-04:00

Mission Sourires d’Afrique is the result of the collaborative efforts among a diverse group of medical volunteers (surgeons, anaesthetists, paediatricians, nurses, inhalation therapists) who joined forces with volunteers from a variety of unrelated backgrounds (business, arts, etc.) to raise funds, plan, and carry out humanitarian surgical missions of this nature for the children of Africa. The links below and the subject headings on the left enable you to review at your leisure the background of the people and institutions involved in our humanitarian missions to Africa.

Who are we and what experience do we have in this area?

Cooperation between institutions in Montreal, Ottawa, and Bamako for the 2009 mission to Mali

Experience of our team in Burkina Faso in 2007

In conclusion, the team of volunteers involved with Mission Sourires d’Afrique has the medical and organizational expertise along with the contacts in Canada/Mali to successfully execute a humanitarian mission to provide free reconstructive surgery for needy children in Mali with cleft lip and palate deformities. The team is able to offer the same high level of care when compared to similar medical services provided in Montreal. Furthermore, the mission will provide daily education and training to local medical professionals which will in turn satisfy one of the main objectives expressed to us by our African partners.

Louise Caouette-Laberge, MD, FRCSC
Chef de Mission

September 2008

Partnerships and Mission Objectives

2008-07-01T07:57:00.003-04:00

This mission will be in partnership with the following institutions:

• Sainte-Justine UHC
• Sainte-Justine Hospital Foundation
• University of Montreal
• Honorary Malian Consulate in Montreal
• Centre Hospitalier Mère-Enfant à Bamako
• Fondation pour l’Enfance de Bamako

Mission objectives:

• To provide needy children in Mali with free reconstructive surgery and related health care for cleft lip and cleft palate deformities.
• To treat 50 or more children in Mali like Khadidia.
• Donations are tax deductible and fund the purchase of surgical and anaesthetic supplies/equipment that will be used to provide high quality medical care in the best conditions possible.
• Donations will also be used to fund transportation costs for the team and the children and families travelling to Bamako for surgery from other parts of Mali.

Dr. Louise Caouette-Laberge

2008-06-30T07:59:00.000-04:00

The Chef de Mission, Dr Louise Caouette Laberge, is the chief of plastic surgery at Sainte-Justine UHC and a professor at University of Montreal. She has volunteered for 13 surgical missions with a variety of non-profit medical services organizations in many developing countries since 1999 as both a surgeon and a visiting professor. She has taught paediatric plastic surgery at Sainte-Justine UHC for more than 26 years and is the author of many scientific publications related to reconstructive surgery for children. In 2006, Dr. Laberge received the Canadian Medical Association’s May Cohen Award for Women Mentors.

Mali Mission 2009

2008-06-05T08:02:00.001-04:00

Sainte-Justine and the 2009 mission to Mali

Our volunteer team, for the most part from Sainte-Justine UHC, receives non-financial support from the hospital; surgical instruments required by the team to operate in Mali during the mission are provided by the hospital at no cost.

The Sainte-Justine Hospital Foundation allows us to benefit from the experience and scale of their professional non-profit fundraising staff and to keep track of the funds raised for our humanitarian surgical missions to Africa. As a result of this partnership, we are able to issue charitable tax receipts to our donors emanating from the Sainte-Justine Hospital Foundation (registration number 11892 1667 RR0001).

Dr. Patricia Bortoluzzi

2008-06-04T08:39:00.000-04:00

Dr. Patricia Bortoluzzi, a plastic surgeon specializing in craniofacial reconstructive surgery in children, participated in two surgical missions in South America in the past year. She is a sought-after speaker at medical conferences based on her expertise in complex facial reconstruction in children. She has been a surgeon at Sainte-Justine UHC and the director of the craniofacial surgical clinic for fifteen years.

Dr. Roger Delorme

2008-06-04T08:38:00.001-04:00

Dr. Roger Delorme, a plastic surgeon with over thirty years of experience, is also trained in craniofacial surgery and is particularly well-known for his work on nose reconstruction. He worked for ten years at the Sainte-Justine UHC before heading the plastic surgery program at the University of Montreal and acting as the chief of plastic surgery at the Notre-Dame Hospital during the 1980s and 1990s. Dr. Delorme has been interested in humanitarian surgical missions for a long time and he will finally get “on the ground” for the first time in 2009 in Mali.

Dr. Catherine Lecours

2008-06-04T08:37:00.004-04:00

Dr. Catherine Lecours, a fourth year resident in plastic surgery, will gain valuable medical experience by taking part in a large number of facial reconstruction surgeries for children. She will also greatly benefit from the powerful experience of a humanitarian surgical mission.

Dr. Jean-Martin Laberge

2008-06-04T08:37:00.003-04:00

Dr. Jean-Martin Laberge, a general paediatric surgeon, is Medical Director of general surgery at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and a professor of surgery at McGill University. Dr. Laberge has participated in several humanitarian missions in the past. His broad expertise related to children’s surgery allows our team to provide a safe environment for children who might display more complex problems within the framework of our mission.

Dr. Marie-Claude Francillon

2008-06-04T08:36:00.001-04:00

Dr. Marie-Claude Francillon has been an anaesthetist at Sainte-Justine UHC for more than 20 years and has participated in several humanitarian missions, in particular as the lead medical professional for missions to her native country of Haiti. Her ability to adapt her anaesthetic techniques and requirements to local conditions while maintaining high standards of patient safety for children has made her a sought-after anaesthetist for humanitarian missions in developing countries.

Dr. Geneviève Coté

2008-06-04T08:34:00.001-04:00

Dr. Geneviève Coté, a paediatric anaesthetist with complementary training in anaesthesia for children with cardiac anomalies, has considerable humanitarian mission experience. Since joining Sainte-Justine UHC three years ago, she has participated in two cardiac surgery missions to Morocco, a mission to Kandahar, Afghanistan as a professor of paediatric anaesthesia, and two facial reconstructive surgery missions to Central America. We are very pleased that she has accepted to share her experiences with us regarding the upcoming mission to Mali.

Dr. Jean Turgeon

2008-06-04T08:33:00.001-04:00

Dr. Jean Turgeon, a paediatrician at Sainte-Justine UHC and professor of paediatrics at University of Montreal, has participated in many teaching trips to Africa and the Antilles to share his knowledge of paediatrics. His expertise during the mission is essential to detect patient conditions other than facial deformities in order to ensure the safety of the child throughout the entire process and to minimize operating risks.

Nurses

2008-06-04T08:32:00.002-04:00

The team is composed of operating room nurses (Lyse Giguere, Guy Legault, Lucie Ferland, Danièle Tremblay, and Linda Blanchard) and recovery room nurses (Sylvie Chasse, Rachel Giroux). Many of the nurses have plastic surgery experience in both the operating room and recovery room, which allows them to assist one another depending on the circumstances. They have participated in at least one humanitarian mission each and they all demonstrated their expertise, dedication, and team spirit during the preparation and surgical phases of the humanitarian mission to Burkina Faso in 2007.

Inhalation Therapist

2008-06-04T08:31:00.001-04:00

Suzanne Ouimet has been an inhalation therapist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital for many years and her knowledge of anaesthetic equipment and her overall resourcefulness make her an essential member of our team. She participated in the Burkina Faso mission and she is responsible for initiating the 2009 mission to Mali through her personal contacts.

Clinic El-Fateh Suka

2008-06-04T08:21:00.000-04:00

The mission that took place between November 24th and December 8th, 2007 at the Clinic El-Fateh Suka resulted in 61 operations consisting primarily of unilateral and bilateral cleft lip/palate cases (46), noma (2), and other conditions such as burn (scar) deformities (13). The welcome we received from our African partners was fantastic and the level of collaboration was excellent. The paediatrician at the Clinic El-Fateh Suka, Dr. Kisito Nagalo, worked closely with our paediatrician during the mission and continued to follow the progress of the patients after our departure. Two local NGOs (Sentinelle and Hymne aux Enfants) also helped with the lodging of the families before and after surgery.

Professor Ouaba and his team at the Ouagadougou UHC, dental surgeons from the Clinic El-Fateh Suka, and an ophthalmologist joined our team to ensure that our combined efforts would guarantee the best healthcare possible for the children. Dr. Louise Caouette-Laberge was also invited to speak at the Congrès Panafricain Francophone de Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale that took place in Ouagadougou following the completion of the surgical mission.

Team of Volunteers

2008-06-04T08:19:00.000-04:00

The team of volunteers involved with Mission Sourires d’Afrique has the medical and organizational expertise along with the contacts in Canada/Mali to successfully execute a humanitarian mission to provide free reconstructive surgery for needy children in Mali with cleft lip and palate deformities. The team is able to offer the same high level of care when compared to similar medical services provided in Montreal. Furthermore, the mission will provide daily education and training to local medical professionals which will in turn satisfy one of the main objectives expressed to us by our African partners.

Honorary Consul of Mali

2008-06-04T08:18:00.001-04:00

The person responsible for making this collaboration with Mali possible is Mr. Serge Poitras, Honorary Consul of Mali in Montreal. Mr. Poitras is responsible for maintaining the essential links with the authorities and organizations in Mali, the Centre Hospitalier Mère-Enfant de Bamako, and the Malian medical team. He will also supervise the logistics for the entire Canadian medical team during our stay in Mali. Without his dedication and continued efforts, this mission would never have seen the light of day.

Institutions

2008-06-04T08:17:00.001-04:00

Collaboration of various institutions in Montreal, Ottawa, and Bamako for the Mali mission 2009

Our volunteer team, for the most part from Sainte-Justine UHC, receives non-financial support from the hospital; surgical instruments required by the team to operate in Mali during the mission are provided by the hospital at no cost.

The Sainte-Justine Hospital Foundation allows us to benefit from the experience and scale of their professional non-profit fundraising staff and to keep track of the funds raised for our humanitarian surgical missions to Africa. As a result of this partnership, we are able to issue charitable tax receipts to our donors emanating from the Sainte-Justine Hospital Foundation (registration number 11892 1667 RR0001).

The Honorary Malian Consulate in Montreal is an essential link to the Mali Embassy in Ottawa, the Government of Mali, and the Centre Hospitalier Mère-Enfant in Bamako.

The First Lady of Mali, Madame Touré Lobo Traoré, is the Director of the C.H. Mère- Enfant Foundation. She supports the mission to Bamako in February 2009 along with the President of the C.H. Mère- Enfant Foundation and the wife of the Malian Ambassador to Canada, Madame Astou Diawara.

Dr. Hamady Traoré, the head of the department of surgery at the Centre Hospitalier Mère-Enfant in Bamako, is working very closely with the Canadian team. He is currently in the process of identifying possible patients in Mali and establishing links with local NGOs to plan for the lodging of patients and their families before and after their operations. Dr. Traoré will also arrange for adequate post-op care and follow-up if necessary. He is also designing the training and education plan/guidelines so that local medical personnel are able to benefit the most possible during the two-week period of the mission in February 2009.

Non-Medical Volunteers

2008-06-04T08:15:00.003-04:00

Our volunteers who do not have medical backgrounds: Geoffrey Adams, Marie-Claude Lacroix, Bernard Fougères, Marthe Bélanger, and France Delorme play an essential role in the fund raising and planning phases of the mission.During the mission, they will be responsible for the maintenance of accurate client files, client photos before and after surgery, data base maintenance, operating schedules, and the supervision of children and their families before/after surgery to ensure the mission goes as smoothly as possible for all concerned.

Honorary Malian Consulate

2008-06-04T08:15:00.001-04:00

The Honorary Malian Consulate in Montreal is an essential link to the Mali Embassy in Ottawa, the Government of Mali, and the Centre Hospitalier Mère-Enfant in Bamako.

The First Lady of Mali, Madame Touré Lobo Traoré, is the Director of the C.H. Mère- Enfant Foundation. She supports the mission to Bamako in February 2009 along with the President of the C.H. Mère- Enfant Foundation and the wife of the Malian Ambassador to Canada, Madame Astou Diawara.

Canadian Embassy and CIDA

2008-06-04T08:13:00.001-04:00

Thanks to the efforts Jacques and Immaculée Lamonde, the Embassy of Canada to Burkina Faso and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Ouagadougou contributed to the mission by agreeing to cover all food and lodging costs for the volunteer team from Canada during our stay in Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso

2008-06-04T08:11:00.001-04:00

Experience of our team in Burkina Faso in November 2007

The initiative for the Burkina Faso mission came from a Montreal-based NGO called Mobilisation Enfants du Monde, founded in 1998 by Ms. Monique Mujawamariya. Thanks to her contacts, a medical team from Montreal was invited to Burkina Faso to perform facial reconstructive surgeries at the Clinic El-Fateh Suka. Professor K. Ouaba, the chief of surgery at the Ouagadougou UHC, agreed to collaborate with the Canadian doctors and the staff at the Clinic El-Fateh Suka.

The medical team made up of twenty people (very similar to the team going to Mali) under the direction of Dr. Louise Caouette-Laberge raised all the funds required to cover the costs of the mission: purchase of medical and non-medical supplies/equipment, all transportation costs for the volunteer team to travel to/from Ouagadougou along with the required medical materials/baggage, etc. We also received logistical help from Operation Rainbow Canada in Vancouver, a non-profit medical services organization Dr. Laberge had travelled with on several occasions. They were kind enough to provide mission planning guidelines including inventory lists of the required supplies and medical equipment so that the Montreal team arrived in Ouagadougou well prepared.

Velothon Participants with our Team

2008-06-02T12:55:00.003-04:00

Our Velothon in 2008

2008-06-01T11:20:00.001-04:00

Our Artists ...On bikes!!!

Dr. Joanna Ng Man Sun

2008-04-17T15:08:00.001-04:00

Dr. Joanna Ng Man Sun, an enthusiastic third-year Anaesthesiology resident, will be part of the devoted team. During this unique humanitarian project, she will provide anaesthesia and analgesia to the numerous babies and children, helping ensure their safety and fast recovery. She will also help in the organization of the necessary equipment for a secure anaesthesia.

Our Community Champion with over $8,000 in Donations

2007-11-07T01:03:00.000-05:00

We would like to highlight the fact that École d’éducation internationale de Laval actively participated in raising funds for this year's Mission Sourires d’Afrique to Bamako, Mali.

The school organized a variety of events and fund raising initiatives like selling jewellery, cookies, cards, calendars, and decorative items at school bazaars and organizing car washes, reading marathons, benefit dinners, auctions, etc. Their combined efforts enabled them to raise over $8,000 for this year's mission.

The entire school community including students, teachers, administrative personnel, and parents became very involved over the course of several weeks with a common goal in mind - to help African children in Mali rediscover life with a new smile.

Although the school considers these types of activities an important part of school life, this type of humanitarian awareness success story was in large part due to the involvement of Ms. Lise Paradis, a high school French teacher and an extremely generous and dedicated woman. We applaud her efforts and her kind spirit and on behalf of all Mission Sourires d'Afrique team members, we would like to thank her and her students and all members of the school community who came together to achieve something truly special.

Supporting Artists

2007-06-04T11:32:00.001-04:00

Fund Raising Show - January 11th, 2009 - SOLD OUT!

2007-01-08T08:24:00.004-05:00

ON STAGE FIRST… MYRIAM O'CONNOR AND FRIENDS!

THEN… A SHORT PRESENTATION OF THE MISSION

TO MALI AND THE TEAM MEMBERS!

FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN SHOW - THE LOST FINGERS!

The Manouche Jazz Combo
A Discovery of the Festival d’été de Québec
and other guests
Sunday, January 11^{th, 2009} at 19:30pm
Le Verre Bouteille Café-Bar
2112, Mont-Royal East, Montréal
Telephone: 514-521-9409

Ticket Cost: 50$
(For charitable receipts, please make your cheque payable to the “Sainte-Justine Hospital Foundation” and write “Mission Sourires d’Afrique” in the lower left hand portion of the cheque in the memo field)