26 Children to Receive Facial Reconstructive Surgery During SHM Group of Companies Smile Week

21 May, 2012

For immediate release

Sponsor to operate on children

26 Children to receive facial reconstructive surgery during SHM Group of Companies Smile Week

Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa;

In a first for The Smile Foundation, a financial donorwill be performing surgeries during a Smile Week.

Dr. Ridwan Mia,a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, is one of the surgeons that will be operating during SHM Group of Companies Smile Week.

His father is Mr. Sayed Mia, the chairperson of the SHM Group of Companies.

SHM Group of Companies is the main sponsor behind this Smile Week.

This Smile Week is held from 21 - 25 May at theDr. George Mukhari hospital in Ga-Rankuwa.

This is the second largest public hospital in the country.

Says Mr. Mia: “Personal involvement is part of our family strategy and commitment. Besides donating, we are always practically and actively involved in every charity we support. We feel that if you donate money, you are giving something, but when you give your time, you are really giving.” “Dr Ridwan Mia, Dr Reza Mia and Mr Sayed Mia and the SHM Group have been actively supporting the Smile Foundationin various ways for many years.”

Moira GersztChief Operating Officer of Smile Foundation says: “Due to the longstanding association with the Mia Family,Dr. Ridwan Miacan now give back both surgically and financially.”

Gerszt said: “It is particularly heart-warming that the SHM Group of Companies is willing to support an academic institution that is so remote and inaccessible.

According to Gerszt the need in these communities is immense, due to the hospital’s large catchment area.

Says Gerszt: “Due to the remote location of the hospital - 90km away from Johannesburg and 36km from Pretoria - this hospital treats patients from the townships Ga-Rankuwa,Soshanguve, and Mabopane, to as far as Limpopo and the North West. In addition, these communities arefar removed from the urban areas and from assistance from other NGO’s,” she said.

The Smile Foundation has been partnering with academic hospitals in South Africa for over 11 years to help underprivileged children with facial conditions, alleviating backlogs in the hospitals, encouraging skills transfer, offering psychological help before and after surgery and supporting hospital infrastructure. For example, Smile Foundation has just donated a state of the art theatre bed valued at over R350 000 to Dr. George Mukhari Hospital. This will be used for the first time during SHM Group of Companies Smile Week.

The success of the Smile Week model has been widespread. To date, almost 1000children have benefited from surgeries around the country through the partnership with state academic hospitals.

-ENDS-

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About The Smile Foundation:

We’re About Putting Smiles on the Faces of Children in South Africa!

The Smile Foundation is a South African NGO that assists children with any type of facial conditions, to receive free corrective Plastic and Reconstructive surgery within South Africa. We help children who suffer from treatable facial abnormalities such as Cleft Lip and Palate, burn victims, Moebius syndrome (facial paralysis) and other conditions. We are currently based in 7 Academic Hospitals around South Africa. We are investing in the medical teams we work with, through a Skills Development programme, and we assist the hospitals by purchasing equipment for use by the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Our Chief Patron Nelson Mandela’s wish is for us to assist as many children around South Africa as possible to alleviate the stigma attached to living with facial condition. For more information, contact the Smile Foundation on or 0861ASMILE. Make a donation today! Help put a smile on a child’s face today! SMS “Smile” to 38413 to donate R10.