Reception in Honour of Volunteers and Supporters of Operation Smile Australia

It is Kaye’s and my great pleasure to welcome warmly to Government House today representatives of the extended “family” that is Operation Smile Australia. We acknowledge in particular the founders of the organisation, Dr Richard Lewandowski and Mrs Sue Lewandowski.

The goal of their initiative in establishing Operation Smile Australia was, and is, to provide cranio-facial reconstructive surgery to children in need in developing countries.

But in doing so the organisation achieves an even more substantial goal – changing children’s lives.  

Children with facial deformities already face serious life challenges.  But they may have also have difficulties with very basic functions – breathing, eating, drinking, and speaking, for example.

Relatively simple surgery can in many cases reconstruct faces and restore these functions.  That is why the “Smile” in “Operation Smile” is very much the key word.

The children involved, of course, can finally smile. In doing so, their families and communities also smile.  And the smiles must inevitably spread to the volunteer medical staff involved and the companies and individuals who support these missions.  What a wonderful legacy.

Almost to the day, this celebration marks the fifteenth anniversary of Operation Smile in Australia as part of an international effort that has brought life-changing surgery to many tens of thousands of children.  

Importantly, it has also been fifteen years of training medical personnel in the countries that in which Operation Smile operates in order to build up local expertise in this field.  

I congratulate Operation Smile Australia on reaching this significant milestone. 

As Governor, and on behalf of the people of Queensland, I thank most wholeheartedly the Board, executive and staff of the organisation. I also thank the small army of volunteers, drawn from many medical institutions in Queensland and elsewhere, who make possible the work of Operation Smile.  

I express my heartfelt appreciation also to all those whose generous support of this marvellous organisation helps provide the resources it needs to change lives.

It is an honour to host you here at Government House, and to wish Operation Smile Australia a long and successful future.  Thank you.