AVAKids brings the 'magic of smiles' to Vietnamese children.

Understanding the challenges faced by children with congenital cleft lip, AVAKids has partnered with Operation Smile to launch a new surgical campaign, bringing miracles to help children achieve complete smiles for the future.

Every child deserves a bright future and a radiant smile. However, for thousands of families in Vietnam, the journey of raising children is fraught with anxiety when their children are born with congenital cleft lip and palate deformities. Difficulties ranging from eating, breathing, and speech to the high cost of treatment make the chance of regaining a smile seem distant for these children. Understanding this disadvantage, the strategic partnership between the AVAKids chain of mother and baby stores and Operation Smile Vietnam has opened a long-term journey, bringing medical miracles closer to these less fortunate lives.

Following the success of the first phase, which "revived" 550 smiles, AVAKids continues to affirm its humanitarian commitment by sponsoring an additional 5.5 billion VND for the 2025-2030 period. This budget is equivalent to another 550 free surgeries, bringing the total number of children supported to 1,100. This is not only an impressive number in terms of sponsorship, but also a testament to the persistent journey, overcoming all geographical barriers to find and bring surgical opportunities to children in all parts of the country, whether in urban or remote areas.

The AVAKids team participated in the event, joining hands with Operation Smile to convey the message "We Build Hope," sending hope to child patients and their families.

This commitment was realized through the inaugural surgery held at the National Dental and Maxillofacial Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of May 18th. From early morning, a large number of parents and their children gathered at the hospital for screening and surgery. The continuous support of the organizers, doctors, and volunteers not only alleviated the initial anxieties of the families but also created an atmosphere filled with hope for the ongoing treatment journey.

Here, pediatric patients are screened by a team of medical experts before entering the operating room. All costs, from surgery and medical care to a portion of the family's travel and accommodation expenses during their hospital stay, are sponsored by AVAKids, helping to alleviate the financial burden on disadvantaged families.

Present at the opening ceremony to support the families and witness the first step of the new phase, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet Hong, Director of AVAKids' product line, stated: "Looking back on the journey so far, we are proud to have successfully completed 550 surgeries. Having had the opportunity to participate in most of the surgeries across Vietnam, from North to South, we have directly witnessed the happy smiles of the families and children. This is a great motivation for AVAKids to continue sponsoring an additional 550 surgeries in this second phase. Today is a significant milestone; we wish the surgeries great success so that the children can soon have new smiles and confidence in life.”

Representatives from AVAKids were present at the hospital to interact with and share the joy with families on the first day of the new phase.

The emotion and happiness were evident on the faces of the parents as their child received a life-changing gift. Some fathers carried the pain of the past, now finding hope for the future generation. Mr. Xuan Truong from Gia Lai (formerly Binh Dinh), father of Bao Tran (Sol), choked up as he shared that he himself had a cleft palate as a child, but his family was too poor, and his parents didn't know about it early enough to seek treatment. Seeing his daughter struggling with speech and eating, he has always been determined to help her change her fate.

"When my child's surgery was successful, my family was happy and grateful to the program for contributing to my child's future with a new smile. I hope our family's story will spread to others in similar situations, helping them learn more about the program so that their children have the opportunity to receive early treatment like my child," Mr. Truong shared.

Mr. Truong and Ms. Nguyen, the parents of little Tran, hope that the program will reach a wider audience.

The journey of the AVAKids Smile Foundation goes beyond the partnership between businesses and healthcare organizations; it also resonates with the community. Through its system of 95 stores and online shopping channels, AVAKids transforms each customer into a connecting ambassador. Every trusted product and every successful order at AVAKids indirectly contributes to the Smile Foundation, creating a larger circle of compassion. A solid business foundation and the trust of consumers are tremendous driving forces that help AVAKids continue its social mission with perseverance, aiming for business development that always goes hand in hand with responsibility towards future generations.

Source: https://znews.vn/avakids-mang-phep-mau-nu-cuoi-den-tre-em-viet-post1652566.html