Humanitarian Facial Surgeries Collage
It took me two months during our 2025 winter weather and a tall ladder to take this photo.
I dissolved our humanitarian non-profit organization, FACE the Challenge, in 2022 after my husband, a craniofacial surgeon, passed away from cancer in 2021. Together, we shared a vision to help others through our training and abilities. And we lived out that passion together for over two decades.
When we traveled abroad, he and our teams operated long hours over many days to help improve the lives of many. As a cardiac and critical care nurse, I applied my skills and experience to our charitable organization. I helped coordinate ~30 international surgical and teaching trips for volunteers who joined us. Essentially, I was an "under-rower" trying to keep the "overall operation" afloat; moving forward and smoothly.
My husband often was the team leader on these trips. He and our teams helped provide free facial reconstructive surgeries for people - infants and children (many as orphans) and adults - in/from four continents. The surgeries were for various needs among many impoverished people - cleft lips/palates and facial clefting, other birth anomalies and rare syndromes, injuries (especially from motor vehicle accidents), burns, tumors, and more.
In February-March 2025, i revisited and archived the newsletters and photos of our years of service. We, our teams, and hospital hosts provided ~1,300 free facial surgeries; some of which were complex and lengthy cases.
As I went through this sorting process, this collage evolved. It represents what became possible. Many people joined together to offer their hearts, skills, and hands. And many with great needs received healing and hope.
Humanitarian Facial Surgeries Collage
It took me two months during our 2025 winter weather and a tall ladder to take this photo.
I dissolved our humanitarian non-profit organization, FACE the Challenge, in 2022 after my husband, a craniofacial surgeon, passed away from cancer in 2021. Together, we shared a vision to help others through our training and abilities. And we lived out that passion together for over two decades.
When we traveled abroad, he and our teams operated long hours over many days to help improve the lives of many. As a cardiac and critical care nurse, I applied my skills and experience to our charitable organization. I helped coordinate ~30 international surgical and teaching trips for volunteers who joined us. Essentially, I was an "under-rower" trying to keep the "overall operation" afloat; moving forward and smoothly.
My husband often was the team leader on these trips. He and our teams helped provide free facial reconstructive surgeries for people - infants and children (many as orphans) and adults - in/from four continents. The surgeries were for various needs among many impoverished people - cleft lips/palates and facial clefting, other birth anomalies and rare syndromes, injuries (especially from motor vehicle accidents), burns, tumors, and more.
In February-March 2025, i revisited and archived the newsletters and photos of our years of service. We, our teams, and hospital hosts provided ~1,300 free facial surgeries; some of which were complex and lengthy cases.
As I went through this sorting process, this collage evolved. It represents what became possible. Many people joined together to offer their hearts, skills, and hands. And many with great needs received healing and hope.