Throughout the years, Jacaranda FM‘s Good Morning Angels has raised millions of rands for local communities as bussinesses and community members come together to make a difference in people’s lives. This week, Good Morning Angels is celebrating Madiba’s legacy by partnering with the Smile Foundation.
Adults typically laugh or smile around 15 times each day, according to research. That’s not a lot if you think about it – and it seems that smiles are even harder to come by these days. Imagine a life where, even if you wanted to, you could not smile. That’s the reality for many children born with facial abnormalities like facial paralysis, burns, cleft lips and palates. In celebration if Mandela Day, Jacaranda FM and Good Morning Angels wanted to change the lives of children born with these facial abnormalities.
In fact, Nelson Mandela himself was the inspiration behind the Smile Foundation. Madiba once answered the call from a concerned mother whose daughter, Thando, was born with facial paralysis. Inspired by the story, Madiba made a call to one of his go-to people, businessman and philanthropist Marc Lubner, who assisted Thando with a life-changing surgery. The Smile Foundation was born from that.
23 years on, more than 5 000 children have been assisted by the Smile Foundation. In honour of Madiba, every year from 17 – 21 July, affectionately known as Smile Week by the foundation, surgeons, their assisting surgical teams, other medical professionals and hospital staff clear their schedules to perform these surgeries bro bono. This is in addition to the normal schedule of operations and other similar weeks held throughout the year.
There are however consumables and other service costs to be covered, at an average of R 25 000 per patient. Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels will be raising funds to cover these surgeries between 12 and 18 July 2023 in the hopes of raising enough money to cover over 30 Smile Week patients – and even more if possible.
To celebrate Mandela Day and to raise funds for Smile Week, Breakfast with Martin Bester will be broadcasting live from Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Ga’Rankuwa on Tuesday 18 July.
13-year old Karabo, who was born with a cleft lip and palate, is one of the children who will be assisted during Smile Week this year. Besides the fact that he looks different to other children, he as difficulty speaking and eating. The operation to repair his cleft palate has been booked for next week and, after this has healed, his lip will also be repaired. This will help tremendously with his health and development, but also his confidence – and it will give him the ability to smile!
To kick off the fundraiser Spar will donate R200 000 to support Smile Foundation “Smile Week” to perform corrective surgery on eight children, including Karabo. This is on behalf of Spar Women’s Challenge Tshwane and all the women and men supporting the race.
“I think the significant connection between Nelson Mandela and the Smile Foundation makes this a very obvious cause for Mandela Day this year. Madiba inspired, encouraged and started the Smile Foundation’s journey so to honour him this way is the most natural thing to do,” Jacaranda FM’s Martin Bester shares. “Companies and people who support Smile Week this year will not give a child a reason to smile, but will give a child a smile. It’s so beautiful and I so happy we are doing this.”
Jacaranda FM is calling on its listeners to get in on the action this Mandela Day! To contribute, visit https://smilefoundationsa.org/donations/jacaranda-good-morning-angels/.