Smile Network International, the Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit Foundation, and Ribera Medical Center (RMC) are once again joining forces to launch a second campaign offering free corrective surgeries for cleft lip and cleft palate to patients in need.
The reconstructive surgeries will take place from April 7 to 11 in the operating rooms at RMC, located on the Libramiento bypass. This year’s goal is to double the number of procedures performed last year, with specialized surgeons aiming to operate on up to 60 patients affected by congenital malformations of the upper lip and palate.
The program is open to infants as young as five months, as well as older children, adolescents, and adults who, for various reasons, were unable to receive treatment earlier in life.
Before the campaign begins, a medical evaluation day will be held on April 5, during which a team of 25 doctors from Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic will assess patient cases to determine their eligibility for surgery.
Registration is now open. For more details, contact: RMC at 376-765-8200, Salvador Ramírez at 33-3150-0583, or Smile Network at 44-2347-9531.
Smile Network founder Kim Valentini encourages financial and in-kind donations, as well as food and lodging support for the patients’ companions, many of whom travel from distant locations to receive care.