$500 and 45 minutes changes a life

Samuel’s mother had brought her baby to the surgery site in Cusco, Peru, a year before but the boy had been too undernourished and small to qualify for surgery. Samuel’s birth defect of a cleft lip made it challenging to feed him and provide enough nourishment for him to grow. This time, Samuel’s mother waited minute after heart-wrenching minute as the staff weighed him to determine if he was healthy enough for surgery. “My heart bleeds for her,” Amy, a Smile Network volunteer, said through tears. “I know that it’s going to be a wonderful thing when it’s over, but it’s been a long, hard day for her.”