Jesse Kramer didn’t expect to cry.
She watched in awe as surgeons repaired the cleft lip of Grace, a 7-month-old girl. She imagined Grace’s bright future during her operation in a hospital in Kofori-dua, Ghana, this sum-mer. Filled with joy, Kramer cried after the surgery.
“Grace was beautiful before surgery and was only more beautiful after,” said Kramer, 18, a recent graduate of Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown. She watched many cleft lip and palate surgeries while volunteering for two weeks in June with the non-profit, Operation Smile. “There’s a stigma there around cleft conditions. With this surgery, Grace can make friends, attend school, and not be bullied. The surgeons worked diligently to repair Grace’s lip, and God handled the rest.”
Kramer, who lives in the Whippany neighborhood of Hanover Township, joined another student volunteer from the U.S. on the trip to Ghana. Operation Smile provides comprehensive cleft care for children with cleft conditions in more than 40 countries.
Doctors and dentists in Ghana performed surgeries on 104 patients. They worked with nurses, speech pathologists, pediatricians, psychologists, patient advocates, translators, and other volunteers to improve all 154 patients’ lives.
Volunteers spent time with the children in the hospital before surgery. They took Polaroid pictures, played games and sports, and enjoyed music together.
“Some kids with cleft conditions have trouble making friends, so talking to us can reinforce their worthiness of attention and love,” Kramer said. Patients with a cleft palate, an opening or split in the roof of the mouth, have difficulty eating, talking, and breathing. “There was a lot of screaming, crying, and laughing in the waiting room. The moms were grateful for everyone there, and had nerves and excitement before surgeries.”
Along with this, Kramer and her fellow student volunteer were responsible for teaching patients and families about nutrition, oral care, CPR, hand washing, burn care, and post-care instructions. Through this, they got to know the young patients, including their family members’ names.
The volunteers also visited a local nursing school and Suhyen village to educate the locals about health and water safety. They presented a water filter to Suhyen’s leader and demonstrated its effectiveness by drinking filtered swamp water.
Kramer got involved with Operation Smile at Villa Walsh, inspired in the eighth grade listening to a talk by senior, Emilia Spada, about her volunteering in Mexico. Kramer became president of the club at Villa freshman year which raised money and awareness for the organization.
She was among 400 applicants to Oper-ation Smile’s student volunteer program, which selected her and 39 others. The program helps strengthen participants’ commitment to service, education, advocacy, and leadership.
The Villa community helped Kramer prepare for the trip through generous donations from families and the Athletic Department, donating more than 150 tennis balls.
“Villa prepared me by giving me skills of proper public speaking techniques, conducting progressive conversations with adults and superiors, and teaching me to see Christ in all people, treating them with the same empathy and love He gives us,” said Kramer, who is now a freshman at Virginia Tech, studying animal science.
Filippini Sister Elaine Bebyn, Villa’s principal, said Kramer “loves to perform service with a smile” and “has a passion for helping others.”
https://www.operationsmile.org/
