Autumn 2011 • Volume 3, Issue 2

Free to Smile FoundationAttn: CWK75 E Gay Street, Suite 300Columbus, Ohio 43215

1 614 778 5344info@freetosmile.org

Visit us atwww.freetosmile.org

I often get asked how I stay motivated considering the demands of Free to Smile Foundation, including the time it takes away from my family. Nearly four years after cofounding FTS, I can honestly say I have often asked myself that very question. And then I go on a trip and the answer stares back at me with a smile on its face...

In June FTS travelled to Niger, Africa for the first time (see story inside). The memory of one of the children we operated on has stayed with me since the trip—15-year-old Souley Suley. When Souley was born with a cleft lip and palate, his father and mother were frightened and believed

Renewed & Growing Motivationthe terrible deformity was the result of evil spirits. They built Souley a separate room behind their home. He lived alone, ostracized from family and friends, every day since birth. Souley never stepped inside his own family’s home.

When I first met Souley he was a boy devoid of any emotion. He was barely able to look me in the eyes. By the end of the week, after his surgery and a little bonding time, I saw him smile and was brought to tears.

So how do I stay motivated to continue the work of FTS? I look into the faces of children we help on each trip and, whenever I waver, I remember the faces we put a smile on, faces like Souley’s. I imagine the same motivation keeps our amazing volunteers going, too—the ability to change a life.

We all have that ability. During this holiday season, I ask you to please take a moment to think how you may be able to change the life of a child like Souley. Whether you share your talent and time with FTS or make a donation of any size, you WILL change a life forever. Thank you to all of you who already have.

I wish you all a happy holiday season.

In gratitude,Byron HenryByron Henry, President

After four FTS mission trips, I am certain of one thing: with privilege comes responsibility.

—Jennifer Miller, DDS

Meet Some of Our PatientsBefore & after photos

Souley Saley

Hassan Ousseiba

Abdou Souleymane

Nouhou Abdoulrazak

About NigerNiger is landlocked and one of the hottest countries in the world on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Niger consistently has one of the lowest ranks of the United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI), currently 167th of 169 countries.

Total Population: 16.4 millionArea (square feet): 489,000 (almost twice the size of Texas)Major Languages: French (official), Arabic, Hausa, SonghaiLife Expectancy: 53.4 years

Free to Smile and eight volunteers travelled to Niger, Africa, on a cleft lip/palate surgical and dental mission. FTS was the first cleft team extended an invitation to operate on children at the CURE hospital in Niamey, Niger.

Niger Free to Smile Mission - June 2011

During the course of a grueling week, FTS worked alongside local surgeons, anesthesia staff and nurses to give 28 children a new chance at life. View a moving video of this mission at: http://youtu.be/xRyYrqKhZz0

From left in FTS shirts: Susannah Watts, Dr. Byron Henry, Dr. Jennifer Miller

FTS Niger June 2011 Mission TeamFTS wants to

thank Brad Henry (pictured below) for his hard work on the amazing

video of our Niger trip!!!

Volunteer Spotlight . . . JENNIFER MILLER, DDSThis year, our team embarked on an inaugural journey to one of the most poverty stricken countries of our world –Niger, Africa. This is where we found the strongest willed children I have ever encountered locked behind their tiny malformed faces.

Through long days of surgery, 110 degree heat of the day, swirling sandstorms, and emotion-filled nights, we transformed 30 lives and had the rare privilege of watching the resilience of the human spirit first hand.

I am honored to witness the smile, hear the giggle, feel the hug of a child with bright eyes and now a chance of a future. These children will live in my heart forever.

FTS has been working with CURE for a year to make this, our newest site, a reality. We extend our most sincere thanks to CURE for its efforts in making this a successful mission and inviting us to return next June. We look forward to our continued partnership.

CURE is a non-profit delivering life-changing surgery to children and families suffering with curable physical disabilities.

CURE’s 24-bed hospital in Niamey, Niger is only one of its kind in the entire country.

SIMON PRYOR (pictured above)To be in a position to help people is wonderful. To actually be helping people is clearly what we are meant to be doing.

As a team we helped remove a socially crippling disorder that had prevented and would have continued to prevent these young and otherwise healthy people taking part in ordinary life. It was a privilege to be able to be part of this organization and operation.

Dr. Jennifer Miller (pictured above), a long-time volunteer with FTS, initiated a dental program while in Niger at the CURE hospital. Also pictured is Andrew Baloy.

Guatemala Surgical Mission Free to Smile Mission - September 2011

A team of 25 volunteers traveled to our newest site in Guatemala to provide care to impoverished children: Retalhuleu. This is an area not often visited by cleft lip and palate surgical teams. During our time at Hospital Hilario Galindo, our team treated 44 cleft lip and palate patients through free surgeries and dental care.

Front Row (from left): Joe Leier, Joanna Wessels, Heather Horan, Emilie Dittle, Jennifer Kosnik, Lissa Dacoscos, Molly Thiel, Jessica Webb, Candace Girton Patricia Marks, Dr. Paula Gomez, Katie Sobo, Melissa Bernardoni, Daniel Dragin, Dr. Dario Garzon. Back

Row: Dr. Christopher Guster, Dr. Jason Stoner, Dr. Evan Miller, Dr. Ryan Montgomery, Dr. Matthew Hamilton, RJ Stager, Dr. Norman Auzins, Dr. Larry Herman, Dr. Byron Henry,

Dr. Jeremy Thiel, Dr. Joe Maslar

FTS Guatemala September 2011 Mission Team

We also want to thank our partner T.E.S.S. Unlimited a non-profit in Guatemala that links doctors and patients ensuring appropriate after care and support for patients.

We want to thank our partner Smile Train for providing the generous support to make this mission possible. Smile Train’s mission is to provide a child born with a cleft the same opportunities in life as a child born without.

Meet Some of Our Patients Before & after photos

Isabel Carolina Hernandez Maria de los Angles Fuentes Yoni Lopes Peres

Guatemala Dental Mission Free to Smile Mission - August 2011

A team of eight FTS volunteers worked with our partner Salud y Paz to provide comprehensive, quality dental care to 215 people in the rural highland villages of Guatemala. The team provided dental hygiene education to numerous patients and students from three local schools, and performed 318 extractions, 78 fillings and multiple debridements.

Front Row (from left): Stacy Henry, Cheryl Brinser, Kathy Gordon, Dr. Hayley Shealy, Tori Hutta, Lannon Butcher. Back

Row: Dr. Jason Culley and Dr. Andrew Zucker

FTS Guatemala August 2011 Mission Team

Volunteer Spotlight . . . JASON CULLEY, DDSVolunteering my time and skills in a third world country has been something I have been interested in doing for many years. However, I wasn’t quite sure how to go about finding the right organization to fit my goals and desires. That was, until I met Dr. Byron Henry for what was supposed to be a routine lunch, eight years ago. Needless to say, I was honored when Byron asked me to be a founding board member of Free to Smile. Today, I am so proud of what the Foundation has become. Free to Smile has changed thousands of lives around the world for the better, including mine. My volunteer experiences have helped me gain a better perspective on what is truly important in life. I encourage everyone to get involved with Free to Smile, whether it be with your time, talent, or money, even in some small way it can make a difference. I, for one, am glad I did.

Dr. Matt Hamilton Dr. Ryan MontgomeryHeather Horan

kiDDS FoundationThe kiDDS Foundation held its annual Smile for kiDDS Golf Tournament to benefit kids with cleft lip and cleft palate. The event is presented by Zimmerman, Boltz & Company and Paragon. We extend sincere and warm thanks to them for donating $25,000 to Free to Smile! Their generous contribution enabled FTS to change the lives of 91 children forever.

It Takes a Village And a Great LeaderByron Henry, cofounder of Free to Smile, will go on and on about the life-changing impact of his most recent mission to Niger and the laudable dedication of all FTS volunteers. He will seldom, however, ‘toot his own horn.’ The truth is, he doesn’t have to. Because doing good gets noticed...

Marvin Fisk Humanitarian AwardByron was recently honored with this year’s Marvin Fisk Humanitarian Award by the Ohio Dental Association, an award whose recipients are nominated by their peers.

100 Buckeyes You Should Know As a graduate of The Ohio State University and in recognition of his professional achievements and leadership of FTS, Byron was featured as one of the 100 Buckeyes You Should Know. Check the Alumni Association web site at http://www.ohiostatealumni.org

Those of us who work, support and volunteer, those of us

who lead the efforts of and participate in FTS missions

need no more motivation than the smiles of our cleft children

and their families.

It is humbling to be recognized for doing something we love.

—Byron Henry

Doing Good & Getting Noticed...

US OUT ON

The Free to Smile Foundation (EIN# 26-3538922) was filed in

2008 as a non-profit 501c(3) humanitarian organization.

To become a volunteer please visit www.freetosmile.org or

call us at 614.778.5344

$1,500 Corporate SponsorDr. Michael Whitcomb

Straumann

$1,000 Eagle SponsorNorthwest Oral & Facial

Nobel BiocareJust Smiles Dentistry -

Dr. Phil Chahine & Associates Astra Tech

$500 Par SponsorPatterson Dental

Columbus First BankUnderwood Orthodontics

Dr. Alan WoodAdvanced Asset Management Advisors

Dr. Jeffrey SantilliDr. Clifford Cook

Paragon Management AssociatesDr. Kevin Cochran & Family

$300 SponsorImage Gallery

$150-$200 Hole SponsorDuke Rakich, DDS

Everhart Financial GroupThomas Law Group

Thomas L. HenryNorthstar Family Dental

Gift SponsorHeritage Golf ClubThomas Law Group

3rd Annual FTS Golf Tournament The 3rd Annual FTS Golf Tournament was held on Friday, July 29, at Heritage Golf Club. With the help of our generous sponsors and a total of 68 players we were able to raise $11,309.60, the equivalent of life-changing surgeries for 41 children! Thanks you to all who joined us and to all of our sponsors!

Upcoming MissionsGuatemala February 2012 We will return to Centro de Salud Bárbara to treat children in this area. We look forward to partnering with Partner for Surgery to again make this a successful mission. We need operating room and recovery room nurses for this trip.

Cambodia April 2012 We will make our fourth mission trip to Angkor Hospital for Children. Our goal is to perform and teach the local surgeons to perform surgeries. We need one cleft surgeon and dentists for this trip.

Eastern Tibet April 2012 Dr. Norm Auzins and Dr. Jennifer Miller will lead the second dental mission to Eastern Tibet and continue our partnership with Tibetan Village Project. We need dentists and hygienists for this trip.

Niger June 2012 Free to Smile will return to CURE hospital in Niamey, Niger to continue its cleft and dental programs. We need recovery room nurses, operating room nurses, and one dentist for this trip.

Guatemala July 2012 Stacy Henry and Dr. Jason Culley will make a third dental mission trip to the rural villages of Guatemala. We need dentists and hygienists for the trip.

Congratulations to this year’s tournament winners (from left): Jim Miller, Paul Johnson, Jeff Santilli, and Brian Henry.

Finding the Fairway

To volunteer contact FTS at info@freetosmile.org

Free to Smile Foundation

Attn: CWK75 E Gay Street, Suite 300Columbus, Ohio 43215

1 614 778 5344www.freetosmile.org

What are you thankful for?At Free to Smile we give thanks for the chance and privilege of changing lives. As you gather with your family and friends during this holiday season, please consider joining and supporting our mission.

We guarantee you will change the world for the better and also the lives of impoverished children and their families around the world, as well as your own here at home.

You may use the enclosed envelope to send a check or money order; or visit www.freetosmile.org to make a secure donation via PayPal.

THE IMPACT OF YOUR DONATION$20................................................................... 1 dental extraction$100................................................................5 dental extractions$275................................................................................. 1 cleft lip$550 .............................................................................. 2 cleft lips $825............................................................................... 3 cleft lips$2,500.............................................. operating room (for one day)