July 3, 2025, 4pm MDT
In June, a 70-year-old woman living in Brazil was able to do everything she had dreamed of. I put on lipstick.
The Church of Jesus Christ, a Latter-day Saint, is partnering with Opera Smile to change the lives of the Brazilian region of Para and Mossolo and the entire Brazilian region of Rio Grande do Norte. Operation Smile is a nonprofit health organization dedicated to providing “highest quality cleft care” free of charge to patients in countries where safe surgeries and cleft care are not available or accessible.
High-quality medical intervention is required
An expanded network of professionals, volunteers and funding in these surgical programs provides a wealth of necessary care to those affected by this condition. Effective cleft care often requires multiple surgical procedures followed by dental, orthodontic, speech therapy and psychosocial care.
From May 26th to 31st, I was living in the physical and social challenges of the cleavage condition since birth at the Cleft Care Surgical program at Part Eila Maria Correia, a community women’s hospital in Mossoro, Donna Josepha, and was able to receive the necessary medical intervention thanks to the collaborative help of smiles. The church provided a large team of volunteers, including large fundraising, including multilingual translators, providing support for food, recreation, logistics and patient transport.
“Operation Smile is deeply grateful for this selfless service,” said Smile’s Mossoró May 2025 report.
As stated on the Operation Smile website, “Individuals with untreated cleft conditions face many medical complications that affect all aspects of life.”
Lips and cleft palate – one of the most common craniofacial differences in the world – is not an aesthetic issue, the site reports. Without intervention, affected children will struggle with lifelong difficulties in diet, breathing, speaking and mental health.
My lifelong dream came true
At age 70, Josefa represents one of many people who lived with limited adulthood due to lack of access, highlighting the importance of early care.
Johns Hopkins Medicine describes a typical age that begins at three months of the cleft lip and begins about a year to begin the cleft palate process. So far, 67% of patients who received care through the surgical programmes conducted this year have been children. From infants to teenagers, ages 19-25, 18% were over 26 years old.
Continuous support and strengthen dignity
Through the ongoing partnership between the Church and the Smiles of the Operation, over 250 dedicated volunteers have been mobilized, with over 200 life-changing surgeries being performed, reaching hundreds of clinical and social services in over 100 affected areas.
In the first half of 2025, the church provided 50% funding for its surgical programme to help dozens of people suffering from cleft lip and palate, according to a report on the Church’s Brazilian Regional Independence Website.
Milena Cerenberg, an assistant humanitarian project in the Brazilian region, had the opportunity to meet and embrace Josepha on her Mossolo project. She expressed her excitement at the prospect of Josepha living with more dignity and achieved her dream of wearing lipstick.
“We are grateful that there is a project like this,” Celendag said. “It’s a truly emotional and rewarding experience that will be part of this job.”
