Category: Latest News

Dr Hodgkinson was recently asked to give a presentation on Operation Restore Hope’s more than 20 year charitable commitment in the Philippines at The Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines in Sydney. The presentation was part of the Philippines celebrating National Volunteers Month with the theme “Volunteer for Sustainable & Inclusive Development”. The event held at the Consulate coincided with the Biannual Meeting of Filipino Community Leaders.

Dr Hodgkinson’s presentation outlined not only the achievements of Operation Restore Hope but also the critical nature of collaboration with our Filipino partners both in the Philippines and here in Australia over these many years to make this work possible. It is only in working together that we can provide optimal outcomes on the ground that can be sustained in the long term.

Dr Hodgkinson was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for his presentation as well as his and Operation Restore Hope’s ongoing work for less fortunate children in the Philippines with cleft lip and palate and other birth defects and deformities who without charity would go unaided.

Thank you to Gary & Dave from AIM Calibrations from Wodonga, Victoria for their generous donation of two Validator 8 Autoclaves for use in our new mission scheduled to take place in 2017 at Las Piñas City Medical Center.

Gary Anstis and his team have serviced the sterilizers at Dr Hodgkinson’s day surgery centre, the Double Bay Day Surgery for years and when the call went out that we desperately needed flash sterilisers for our work at Las Piñas, AIM Calibrations was only too happy to answer the call.

Pictured here are Gary and Dave with Double Bay Day Surgery’s Director of Nursing, Sister Sue Slater who has been an Operation Restore Hope volunteer and medical supply coordinator on more than twenty missions in Cebu and Manila.

Thanks to Gary. Dave and AIM Calibrations for making this much needed and greatly appreciated donation!

Founder of Operation Restore Hope (ORH) Dr Darryl Hodgkinson, Plastic Surgeon Dr Anton Fries and Director Grant Brown recently visited Dr Taps Gurango and her team at the Philippines Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) to review cases that the two organisations have been collaborating on as well as to screen new cases for future funding and surgery. ORH has been collaborating with Dr Gurango and her foundation, the Mijares Gurango Craniofacial Foundation, operating out of PCMC for over five years now.

This partnership was founded from the need to find a way to treat children with birth defects and deformities whose cases were so severe that they were ill suited to a mission environment. Prior to this it had been heartbreaking for the medical volunteers of ORH to have to turn away these children and their desperate parents as they could not be safely cared for in regional hospitals and without the ongoing care, follow up and expertise of a highly talented cranio-facial surgical team in a well- equipped centre. Even so, ORH has had to provide not only funds but equipment to make possible these complex surgeries. These funds have come from the Mill House Foundation whose support has been integral to this branch of the ORH’s programs for children with cleft lip and palate.

In the time that ORH and Dr Gurango and her team have collaborated, well over 65 procedures have been carried out including 7 rare full facial clefts, 12 meningocoeles, 2 cases or oro-mandibular hypogenesis syndrome, numerous wide cleft lips and palates requiring naso-aveolar moulding, hemi-facial atrophy, tumours and more. Private arrangements have been made and funding obtained for the housing and transportation of these patients, especially those from outside of Manila.

The need seems to be endless, having just screened 3 more meningocoeles in one day in addition to 2 more severe facial clefts and a wide assortment of other conditions but ORH’s commitment is strong. Support continues to come in various ways and means with members of the Philippine Australian Medical Association now fundraising for Amethyst and Sai Sai, the two little girls with oro-mandibular hypogenesis syndrome. Everyone can help these children and ORH’s other programs through raising funds, raising awareness or encouraging our volunteers by liking us and following our work on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OperationRestoreHopeAustralia.

When donating to charity you want to ensure your money goes far and provides significant aid and is not wasted on unnecessary expenses. The following article by Peter Singer explains why it is important to consider carefully where you are donating and how to make your dollars have the impact you truly want them to.

 Doing_The_Most_Good.pdf

Operation Restore Hope Australia ensure that every dollar goes directly to helping the disadvantaged children suffering with facial deformities in the Philippines.

No money is spent on marketing, administration, printing etc. which is why we are able to assist as many children as we do and everybody who works for Operation Restore Hope Australia does so 100% pro bono

Dollars and Sense

“From it’s very inception, what has made Operation Restore Hope unique amongst charities is that all monies raised go directly to supporting the surgical missions, as everyone in the organisation from doctors and nurses to the administrators and consultants, and even many of the supplies, all work voluntarily and receive no remuneration. 

Without the generosity of people giving so freely to their time and expertise, we would not have been able to achieve the large number of cases. It has always been a challenge to keep costs down, as the price of medicine everywhere, including in the developing world, is rising significantly. 

We’ve continued to avoid buying new expensive equipment such as monitors and anaesthetic machines, preferring to use donated equipment when possible, and pre-loved machines when purchase has been necessary. 

I’ve always been impressed by how this donated equipment has continued to function over a very long time without the need for replacement, due to the skills and necessary thrift and resourcefulness of the Filipino.”  

Dr. Darryl Hodgkinson (Founder of Operation Restore Hope)