Behind a Smile with Dr. Shauntel Ambrose
I host a podcast that shares the secrets behind some of the most resilient healthcare businesses worldwide, innovative products, savvy strategies and daily inspiration to reach your ultimate in your healthcare career. I interview the movers and shakers of healthcare who courageously push boundaries. Whether you a start-up, or needing a push to keep going or a family business or looking for mentorship without the business know-how. This is an all-inclusive, keeping it real, not for the faint-hearted, haters or the nay-sayers live your best life as a member of a global community in healthcare podcast!
Behind a Smile with Dr. Shauntel Ambrose
Building Smiles: The Work and Impact of The Smile Foundation
Join us on a journey into the heart of the Smile Foundation, an organization reshaping the lives of children with cleft lip and palate. Sylvia, a brave mother and Gauteng- coordinator for this incredible foundation, opens up about her own child's journey through multiple surgeries, highlighting the need for awareness and support. We delve deeper into the foundation's work, from various campaigns to their pivotal support for burn patients, and their quest to expand services to more clinics and hospitals.
Sylvia's personal story is a catalyst for a broader discussion on the need for collaborative efforts in providing comprehensive care, particularly in impoverished communities. How do mothers feed their babies with cleft lip and palate? What role do medical professionals play in the success of surgeries and post-operative care? Our exploration doesn't stop there. We discuss the Smile Foundation's upcoming programs and the ways you can lend a hand. We confront the harsh reality of costly dental care and emphasize the importance of advocacy, of being a voice for the voiceless. So, buckle up and join us for an episode packed with information, inspiration and a call to action! www.smilefoundationsa.org
Hi, I'm Chantal Ambrose. I'm a dentist and I host a healthcare business podcast that shares tips straight from the industry leaders. So, whether you are a startup or needing a push in the right direction, a family business or just looking for some mentorship, join us. Welcome everyone.
Speaker 1:Today we have some amazing guests on our show. I'm very excited and it's one of the most, I think, important aspects to me being in Peds and in dentistry. It's been a foundation that I followed for over 20 years and it's really something that I believe that we need to get out there and we need to get some sort of awareness going with cleft lip and palate. So I'm going to introduce you to two of our guests. We have Mora Gers today, as well as Sylvia and Kunu. Both of them are from the Smile Foundation. I'm going to give you a little bit of a background. We have a mum today that is part of the Smile Foundation and is sharing her journey of having a baby diagnosed with cleft lip and palate, how she's had to go through all of the different surgeries, and she's sharing that journey with us today. So I'm very privileged to invite you on board today, sylvia, welcome.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:And then Mora. You have so much of experience and you've been part of operations of smile foundation for many, many years. This week you have been available to so many programs for oral health care that you are just a gem in the industry and I'm absolutely privileged to have you on board. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making the time for us today.
Speaker 3:It's only my pleasure and to grow awareness about this condition is my privilege, having been in Smile Foundation but it's not only me, and we say, it's all of us, our entire team that joined together.
Speaker 1:And I've been lucky enough to be part of a community of speakers. I've been part of dental protection and I've been sort of doing the work of being able to give oral education for a number of years now, and I'm practicing dentistry, still with a post-grad in pediatrics. So this show is very close to my heart. I want you to tell our audience a little bit about the Smile Foundation and what do you do there?
Speaker 3:How long have you got for me to tell the whole story In the nutshell. We were a registered NGO. We started in the year 2000. I wasn't there at that time but I've been with the organization a very long time and I've really been blessed to be able to offer what I can do, together with our team, to make their lives the children that need reconstructive surgery or cleft lip or cleft lip and palate, to enable them to be able to communicate, to grow their confidence and to be a valuable contribution within their family and also in their communities moving forward.
Speaker 3:So Smile Foundation was born at the behest of late Mr Manelsa Mandetta, who is our patron, and we've been going now for 23 years. And the first child that was operated on had a condition called Mobus syndrome where she was completely paralyzed on her face, no expression whatsoever. And thereafter our medical director, george Soros, said there was a great need for surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate. And that's how our journey really started. And as we've grown and more funding has come in from corporates and from various organizations, we've been enabled to grow our services. When the child comes in, we're helping them with transportation, we're helping them with counseling whilst they're in the hospitals and looking at other areas that a child needs really in their journey with cleft lip and palate until they may be in their late teens where they need further surgeries. So that's in a nutshell and we enable those children to Smile.
Speaker 1:You know, just to be able to help as many people as you do is remarkable work, and so can you give us an idea of how many children are supported by the organization?
Speaker 3:On an annual basis it's probably about 500 children, depending on the number of surgeries and a lot of you were talking about COVID earlier and a lot of the children are now being operated on a weekly basis and not only in a smile week. It is five consecutive days where surgeries, as it is happening now in the western Cape, in Tungibur, kostipal Instead of that, the surgeons have theatre time with all the support that they need from medical staff and are able to do it on a weekly basis rather than always in a smile week model. So you know, more and more hospitals are saying can we have a smile week as well as a weekly slate now? And fortunately we are able to offer them that.
Speaker 1:That is remarkable Listen. So what other campaigns can we?
Speaker 3:Now I'm fortunate to have support for burns patients, not the acute burns. I'll leave the other support for Sylvia to discuss, because she's very involved with the cleft, lip and palate and looking at areas where we haven't been should be, you know, before. Possibly further support in clinics and referral hospitals. Those are some of the things that I've actually discussed now, you know, with two different hospitals whilst in Cape Town. So we look for where there is valuable need and where we can make it.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, sylvia, now I'm excited to actually speak to you because I think that, for all of the years that I end up doing oral care and management, I think that there are many stories that just remain unheard, and we, as medical professionals, we don't often get the time to truly, truly be on the journey with a mum. That has to go through as much as any mum, because any mum has to go through when your baby is first diagnosed as being something that will require further operation. So can I ask you what was your journey like when you first were told, listen, your baby has a cleft lip and palate, and what was that like for you, sister, they're in misery and what also stressed me and I think some of the mothers have gone through the same thing, because imagine having this baby For me.
Speaker 2:I must say I was lucky because I already had had other children, but this one was different. Then I had to ask questions. Then this sister at the nursery explained to me what's wrong with Princess and it is going to be rectified. Then she showed me pictures you know, via internet of the kids who also born with the same diagnosis. But it was so confusing because, I mean, this diagnosis is called like a big wits cleft, lip and palate they couldn't understand what was going on. So she explained to me.
Speaker 2:But on that time, remember, I had my family back home. My kids were waiting to see their sibling. I remember that time my son was waiting for a baby brother. Imagine I had to go to your home and tell them you don't have a baby brother, you have a baby sister and she looks different. Because on the very same day the dischargement that they told me and sister to stay behind, you know she all bit to start at the two days I had to go back home and share the news to the siblings that you do have a baby sister and she looks different, but she will be coming home after two days. Guess what? I know everybody was excited. I decided to show them the pictures. I was afraid that they're going to be scared or say something, but they left their sister so they couldn't wait for her to come back home. I was so eager to persist, to be like seen by the legends.
Speaker 2:Then I decided to look on via Google to check regarding this diagnosis. Then I was lucky to find my family, which is the foundation. Then I went to the website and got connected with them. It was a lovely conversation with the summer forum. They welcomed me and I could feel that I was welcomed. Then they invited me to come to one of their hospitals in Soichu that is present in Barakwana Hospital. Then I went there. Wow, I get connected with a psychologist. You know the medical physician, doctor, the speech therapist, the dietician so I actually got in their diagnosis and the surgeries they are going on to do on Princess. Then they gave me another date for a follow-up.
Speaker 2:Then, in 2013, I received a call from the Dr Kusami Barakwana Hospital so that I can come on their smile week the smile week at LARA. So I had to train them. The smile team is very friendly to train them at the smile week in Barakwana. So when I went there they also explained the whole process and what I like about my family. There's a team of psychologists we find they are taking me through counseling so that you'll understand what will happen and they will ask you regarding how you're feeling. You know, are you ready for this?
Speaker 2:So when the princess will be admitted and the surgery is going to happen, they'll attempt to do the fetishary which is the liparocaine, because her diagnosis it was a platelet in a pallete. It was a bilateral one. The first surgery was done in February. That's the first surgery. Then she has done almost eight surgeries, but the most surgery that's done is the one she did this year when she was nine years old. That's the bone graft surgery. I almost didn't want her to do it but I felt like it should be selfish of me because she needs to fix her entire pattern now so that with the entire whole journey and story, it's always. I always tell them that this is my calling. I believe this is my calling and I'm also giving back because SM and I'm a baby child from the death liparocaine pallete.
Speaker 2:In that time I didn't have a medical age.
Speaker 2:I tried my husband in high to find out regarding the surgery. So of which the surgeons, the private surgeons, they told us the surgery is going to be expensive because they told the fetish is going to be 60 plus, of which we didn't have a medical age, we didn't have money. So I was lucky to have found a small foundation who assisted me freely, without paying any, sent the whole staff in our hospitals, were working with and not forgetting our donors. You know there's a saying in this the way by the same one, the longer the corner. It means. May your gratitude never cease to end. So I'm also the original coordinator for how team. So I coordinate in three hospitals, which is Prisland, barogra, shalotian and Tredge and Nelson and the Elaturan hospitals. So what I'm doing with the coordinator, I'm referring patients to those hospitals so that they can be sent by the surgeons, so that the world will still help, you know, regarding their surgeries, I do the follow ups on the type of surgeries they are doing. And guess what? I'm getting a chance to go into theater as well.
Speaker 1:Congratulations, sylvia. That is such a journey. Thank you for sharing that with us. I hope that you know that I believe that this is your calling as well. You know you've. You've taken what you've gotten and you've just made the most of it, and now you're helping so many others. So what do you recall as being some of the most positive and memorable medical experiences where you were so grateful that that particular medical staff you know came in contact with your child? What do you take back? What is? Was it a thank you or was it that someone just explained for longer? Are there any specific memories that come to mind where you were just so grateful from that particular medical practitioner or staff member?
Speaker 2:I almost forgot that I was in the hospital because it was for the first time for my daughter. It was actually experiencing the whole thing regarding the operation. So a third time on that day, and I was ready for it because they told me I am going to accompany her to the theatre so that when they understood that he's letting her to sleep, then I'll be there in few minutes later I'll be out. I remember them telling me the search. I reached the little paper first one they're going to try and approach two hours.
Speaker 2:Then I waited out of the theatre. Then two hours it just finished. Then princess was not coming out and the doctors were not telling me anything. I started to panic now checking my time two hours is over and what's happening. Then this doctor came out, still doing up and down. They didn't tell me anything. I started to panic now. I said panic because it was two hours, it's finished now.
Speaker 2:Then later on one of the sessions came out and told me you know why we are delaying? Because we need to put on the grommets. So the grommets are inserted regarding how in helping with the infection, because the pallete was open widely. So the grommets are there to prevent any infection. That's why we are also undergoing different departments, which is part of the ENT as well. So it's a long journey because only we are attending by the post-exceptions. We also attend by the TTM ENT and the audiology, which is the speech there episode.
Speaker 2:There are a lot of people who are involved. So the dental is part of the dental where princess is beginning now. It's also a long process. She is a long process but rather than better. I am grateful to all the doctors who are assistants and whenever I'm sharing to the mums. They always tell me you are the strongest. Guess what? I'm not strong. They are the ones who are making me strong and I feel like it's most important for someone to share to you. I've been there, done that, so always tell them if I did it, they can also do it as well. I'm not special.
Speaker 1:I'm just I'm going to challenge you on that. I think you are quite special, in fact, and thank you for sharing that with us. I'm going to ask, moura now You've touched on something that we need a whole team to fix, just one person to just get them to that place where I think that you can smile and you can speak. And let's leave alone smiling and speaking. Let's talk about swallowing, let's talk about eating, let's talk about basic, just basic, daily.
Speaker 3:These are your daily routines, but when you have a cleft lip and palate, tell them and explain to them how they can feed their baby, because really poverty stricken mommies utilize a breast milk and the child can't you know, cannot suckle. So there's all sorts of people that need to come together. You always have every single person on board, but that is the ultimate, this kind of multidisciplinary situation and we also looking into that as a project, because if there is a need for speech therapist or the ENT and they're not available or they're not in that particular hospital, at that point that these children and that's where Sylvia's position in the hospital is exceptionally important, because then she knows all the doctors and she collaborates with all of them to come together. And I think that's the biggest lesson that we all I'm sure Sylvia will agree with me that we've all realized it's not this one person, it's this whole team that will enable those children.
Speaker 3:Now Sylvia's journey is more dental, and so the dentists need to collaborate as well on the next sex surgeon. So it's all a collaboration and I must just say what Sylvia is saying is that I don't think there's one of us. As a matter of fact, I can be absolutely guaranteed in my comment that every single person involved with Smile Foundation loves doing what we do. Sometimes I've told my colleagues that in the 19 years that I've been with Smile Foundation, there hasn't been one day at all that I haven't enjoyed coming to work and that really is the blessing that I was talking about in the very beginning. So we are looking at all those collaborative relationships now. You know, at post and during all the cliff surgery.
Speaker 1:Well I appreciate that I must actually share that with our listeners is that, as an organization, you are absolutely phenomenal.
Speaker 1:I have just been received so well.
Speaker 1:You know, I must say it's a highly sophisticated team in order to even clear out space, in order to keep on track with as many collaborative teams that you'll be needing for each person's surgery.
Speaker 1:And I must commend every one of you on board, because the level of passion that each of you share on the team has not been something that I just touched base with for this interview. I've been lucky enough to touch base with it throughout aspects of my career and I do agree with you that you are one of those teams that the whole organization at large really can see the vision and that shared goal. You know you do it wholeheartedly, no matter what obstacle comes along and these, let's say, there are many obstacles on this journey and whether it be funding, whether it mean getting the team on board, whether it mean some delays COVID delayed many people's surgeries and those were critical surgeries Because you know we are looking at growth rates. So you know, when we really look at the bigger picture, I really do commend you as a team. It is remarkable what everyone's able to accomplish when they're working together, and how can they help?
Speaker 3:They can. Sylvia's and various coordinators are in the major academic hospitals around the country, so either they can contact you know one of our coordinators. Otherwise, we do have all our contact details on a website and all they can just look up Smile Foundation and we have a landline as well and, if need be, we will return the call to that mother so that she doesn't necessarily have to bear that cost. There's always someone you know thank God for that that knows who we are and that we are there to enable them to get service that they need Well.
Speaker 1:thank you, sylvia. Where are you based and when are the school programs rolling out? Is it in all provinces?
Speaker 2:For now we are starting in Khau team. I hope it is going to be the big project because so many moms are interested. You know, I think we'll be having more invitations regarding where to go. You know in how to that we are prepared and ready for that next year. And to add on that mom, the moms also, they can join our website and hopefully, friend, as a not only Smile Foundation is helping. Regarding the direct lift, I mean the whole process regarding the fish health abnormalities, we are also in the you know which is you need to, so they can go to their friends, their website and they need to as well. They're getting the pens as well, so there are also courses as well for in the same hospitals.
Speaker 1:Okay, I just want to thank you both and I want to thank the Smile Foundation because the time you've given us, I think we've learned a hell of a lot and you know the awareness. I'm a medical profession. I've been involved in dental care, I do a lot of special needs in my own practice and on a daily basis I get very desperate moms phoning me, begging and pleading to get help out. And it's expensive. Unfortunately, this is the bottom line is it's expensive care because we have to take longer periods of time to treat people that not only have a basic fear they have to overcome that fear but they also have quite complicated cases in order for us to see.
Speaker 1:I am really an advocate for any professionals that want to find within themselves a level of passion for progress, because there are a number of people that need help and children are one of those without voices and in many ways, we all play the part of speaking, and today I am very grateful for both of you and for your organization for really being the voice and continue being the voice. I just am very appreciative for the time and I will have all the contact details on board when we go out, so anyone that's wanting to reach out to you. They'll also have your your details available. Thank you once again.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much, thank you.
Speaker 1:I have covered starting up and how to turn your vision into a business, and in our future episodes we look at leadership. We look at multi practice success. I'm grateful for you and I would love to hear your ideas. What questions do you need answered? Please drop me a mail at behind a smile, to at gmailcom. I look forward to hearing from you and remember you are heard, you are seen and on this platform, you are invited. Let's make it happen together.