Corazon’s story is one of the thousands of stories of courage that we hear from our very special children. While it is always our goal to try and treat children as early as possible in their infancy, many still do slip through the cracks – Corazon is one such girl.

Even though Corazon’s parents actively sought out charity everywhere they could and presented Corazon to various missions, Corazon was never treated as she suffered from a heart condition which would make the surgery much more dangerous for her. It is a cruel twist of fate that Corazon actually means heart in Spanish.

When Corazon presented at our screening last year, this brave young girl was aware of the danger that surgery might present for her. When she told us that she was not afraid to die but that she wanted to go to heaven with her lip closed, we felt compelled to see if there wasn’t a way for us to help her.

Our surgical and anaesthetic team was assisted by the local doctors and specialists of Caloocan to provide further diagnostic tests on Corazon and to create a strategy for her treatment which would allow Operation Restore Hope to confidently help Corazon realize her dream. We were blessed to have Corazon in the hospital sharing her love and courage with our patients. We look forward to seeing Corazon soon back in Caloocan!

Operation Restore Hope is now nearly 15 years old and treats approximately 150 children per year in three different centres. We have met the strict criteria to win endorsement and financial support from this international foundation and are most grateful that we have been chosen as Australia’s first Smile Train recipient.