“During the past 17 years, Dr. Yarish and his medical team have made around 35 mission trips to rural Mexico to perform life changing surgery for children…. Cleft lip and palate anomalies have robbed their young patients of the chance to smile, or whistle, or to have their words be understood. These congenital anomalies are particularly common in the mountainous, and rural areas of Mexico, and it is difficult for the Mexican government to take care of all the affected children. The surgery allows children to breathe, speak, hear, and swallow correctly. They’re saved from malnutrition and lifelong disabilities. Just as profound, the outward results of the surgery translate into self-esteem and protect children from isolation, exclusion, and embarrassment caused by their physical appearance.”