Surgeries Begin! (Tuesday, Oct 3)

The first day of surgery began with 9 patients on the scheduled for their cleft lip repair.

Also during the day, Filmmaker, Bruce Borowsky, and AfS Executive Director, Alison Healy visited the homes of several of the patients, and interviewed their families for a new promotional video for AfS.

It was a hot steamy day, and Yangon was bustling with people moving in all directions, with bumper to bumper traffic. You need to be a brave and skilled driver to maneuver through the buses, cars, motorcycles only inches away.

One of families lived in a home that was reached by walking the railroad tracks through forest and thick vegetation. Along the railroad path, was a temple with playing music that could be heard throughout the area.

The Htet family lives in a simple hut with ivy covering the roof, and a solar panel they use to generate electricity.

Despite the small and modest home, the Htet family are happy and gracious. Their son , Hiwan Arkar, whose nickname is “everybody loves him” has a cleft lip is scheduled for his surgery on Thursday, October 5.