Operation Smile, the charity committed to providing thousands of free operations to people suffering from cleft lips and palates, will come to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi at the end of July.

Up to 20 children and adults will receive transformative surgery from Operation Smile UAE at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi on July 28th and 29th. The hospital will make two operating rooms available to the charity’s medical volunteers, along with food and other supplies.

After appealing for volunteers to assist with its first UAE mission, Operation Smile said that 186 staff from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi stepped forward, more than twice the number needed.

"From the first time we came to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, we were overwhelmed by the offers of help. It’s been really heartwarming," said Morag Cromey-Hawke, Executive Director of Operation Smile in the UAE. "Everyone we came across from management downwards wanted to get involved to the extent that we have almost more support than we can use."

The Operation Smile UAE Foundation, OSUAE, was established in January 2011 under the patronage of Sheikha Alyazia Al Nahyan, Wife of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and works to provide cleft lip and cleft palate repair surgeries for children and adults all over the world. In addition to raising funds to perform the surgeries, OSUAE works to recruit medical volunteers and raise awareness about the condition.

While the foundation has supported operations around the world, this is the first time it has had access to the world-class facilities at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Ann Williamson, Chief Clinical and Nursing Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said, "It is fitting that in the UAE Year of Giving, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has been able to assist Operation Smile in transforming people’s lives through surgery. We’ve been very pleased to see so many hard-working nurses and team-members from the hospital volunteer their time for this initiative."