How Smile Foundation’s Smile Week is Transforming Lives
From 02 – 06 June 2025, medical heroes from across South Africa gathered at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital for Smile Foundation’s Smile Week. This transformative week of care saw 23 life-changing surgeries take place, primarily to correct cleft lips and cleft palates in children.
Beyond these, there were also two significant operations: a facial reanimation surgery for a child with Moebius Syndrome and a craniofacial surgery for a child recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). These surgeries represent more than medical interventions — they restore dignity, hope, and the chance at a fuller life.
Smile Foundation: Stories of Hope and Happiness
Smile Foundation is in its 25th year of operation in South Africa. With a presence across various provinces and 15 academic hospitals, the foundation is dedicated to helping children with facial abnormalities, such as cleft lips and palates. They help these individuals access surgeries that are often considered elective in the public sector. Smile Foundation supports underprivileged families who could not otherwise afford these critical procedures.
During Smile Week, the Foundation books out entire wards and operating theatres to maximise the number of surgeries performed. Notably, there is no eligibility requirement to apply for Smile Foundation’s support as they simply want to help as many children as possible.
Tarri Parfitt, CEO of Smile Foundation, explained: “Our mission is to try and help every child that has a facial abnormality to receive the surgery that they need. Our job is to facilitate the surgical process, not turn people away. That being said, the process begins when the parent takes their child who needs the surgery to their closest clinical hospital. Here, they will be assessed medically. They will be assessed whether surgery is needed and if they are the right weight to undergo such a surgery. The doctor would then assign them a date in a hospital, so that’s not in our hands.”
Smile Foundation in Partnership with Dr Julian Collis
A renowned prosthodontist, Dr Julian Collis, sponsored the most recent Smile Week at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. His generous support brought together a handpicked team of top medical professionals from Gauteng, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.
Professor Chrysis Sofianos led a dream team of plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthodontists, nurses, psychologists, and medical registrars. These individuals donated their time and skill to change young lives. Furthermore, all aspects of the child’s life, such as their ongoing mental and physical wellbeing, were considered throughout the surgical and recovery process.
Dr Thendo Netshiongolwe, one of the participating surgeons, emphasised the profound importance of reconstructive surgeries for children. He noted that children with facial abnormalities are often marginalised within their communities and isolated in school settings. Corrective surgery can help them integrate socially and improve academically. A vicious cycle can be broken.
Beyond the emotional and psychological toll, these conditions can also cause serious physical challenges. He explains that surgeries are ideally performed before the age of two, as early intervention is crucial for normal speech development. In the public sector, however, children often face years-long waiting lists, missing that vital speech developmental window. If left untreated beyond the toddler years, the child’s speech development may be permanently affected. For example, one patient during this past Smile Week was 16 years old. Therefore, he will need speech therapy to catch up the vital developmental years he missed.
“Smile Week is about more than just surgery, it’s about restoring hope, dignity, and opportunity for these children and their families,” said Parfitt. “We are deeply grateful to Dr Julian Collis for the extraordinary legacy of care he built throughout his career. We are also thankful to the incredible medical teams who are giving so generously of their time and skill to make these miracles possible.”
Caroline’s Story: Living with Moebius Syndrome
Twelve-year-old Caroline Maeteletya was one of the Smile Week patients. She was born with Moebius Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that affects the facial nerves responsible for movement. This leaves her unable to smile, blink, or make facial expressions.
Caroline underwent a complex facial reanimation surgery — a procedure that can take up to 14 hours. Dr Dimitri Liakos and Professor Tim Christofides explained the goal of this surgery is to restore some movement to her face, allowing her to express emotion and interact more naturally with the world.
Beyond transforming Caroline’s life, the operation also served as a key skills-sharing moment for young doctors in training.
When asked about the operation, Caroline expressed how excited she was just to be able to smile. Her mother, Eunice, said they had been waiting a long time for this surgery and are deeply grateful to Smile Foundation for changing their lives.
Khanya’s Story: Recovery from a Traumatic Brain Injury
Six-year-old Khanya Sibanda also received care during Smile Week. At just three years old, she fell from a six-storey building while playing with a friend, landing on her head. Extraordinarily, she survived. However, she suffered swelling of the brain, which required an emergency craniotomy — a surgical procedure in which part of the skull is removed to relieve pressure on the brain.
Now, three years later, Khanya finally received the reversal procedure, in which the cranium bone is refitted to protect the brain. This final step significantly lowers her risk of infection and allows her to safely attend school again.
Her mother, Tshinanne Tshimbudzi, expressed relief and joy that Khanya can now move forward in life with a better chance at health and normalcy.
Although Johannesburg’s Smile Week has come to an end, the Smile Foundation is already preparing for the next one. They remain committed to changing the lives of South Africa’s children — because in their eyes, every child deserves the chance to smile.
