ORH 2025 - Faces of Change – Before and After

The Power of Transformation

Today we would like to show you what words can hardly describe: the change in a child's face – and the power that lies in it.

Our before and after photos document more than just surgical results. They speak of shame that turns into a smile, of uncertainty that gives way to an open look.

There is often only one night between these two images – and yet a world.
An operation. An awakening. A first look in the mirror.

The First Images Afterward – Tender, Raw, Full of Hope

The after photos show the children just hours after their surgery.

• Some faces are still swollen.

• The skin is red.

• A small plaster rests on the lip.

• In some you can still see traces of blood – visible signs of an operation that changes everything.

And yet, the change is noticeable. Tangible. A transformation that can be seen but not measured.

The shape of the lip. The closed philtrum. The new expression.

Even though the healing is only beginning, each image already tells of what is possible. They are not perfect pictures – but they are real. And they show the most valuable thing we can give: a new opportunity.

A Silent Thank You

And with it comes the quiet certainty that something has changed. Forever.

These photos are tender, honest, touching. They are also a silent thank you to everyone who makes this journey possible – through their work, their donations, their compassion.

Many of our little patients are too young to fully understand the before and after photos. Too young to know how much their lives can and will change as a result of this procedure.

But their parents know. Their grandparents feel it.

• Mothers and fathers accompany their child through every step – from the first wait at the screening clinic to waking up in the recovery room.

• Grandparents often come too, especially from rural areas. They carry all the emotions the child cannot yet name: fear, hope, relief.

98 Operations – 98 Stories of Change

In total, we were able to carry out 98 operations during this mission.

Each child brought a unique medical story:

• For some, a small operation on the lip was enough.

• For many others, the surgeries were far more complex – involving cleft lip and palate, old scars that had to be reopened and revised, or tooth extractions to aid later jaw development.

The closure of a cleft lip and palate represents a major functional improvement – enabling better nutrition, clearer speech, and above all, dignity.

Each surgery was more than just a medical procedure.
It was a step toward independence – toward a child being able to eat without pain, speak without barriers, or smile without shame.

The Surgeons’ Perspective

Our doctors operate with the utmost precision, backed by decades of experience. But what moves them most is not the technical result.

It is the moment they see the child again. The look on the family’s faces.

"It’s these seconds we’re doing this for," one surgeon said quietly today.

Farewell to Hanoi

One last look back. A silent thank you from the front.

Our time in Hanoi is coming to an end. Behind us lie days full of intensity, concentration – and humanity.

We operated on children. Accompanied families. Witnessed stories that reached deep.
We smiled, sweated, took photos, marveled – and often just held our breath.

What remains are not just pictures. They are encounters.

• A child who suddenly dares to lift their head.

• A mother crying after her child’s operation – this time with relief.

• A doctor pausing in silence because words would be too big.

And one feeling remains above all: gratitude.
For what we were allowed to do.
For the trust of the families.
For every team member who helped with head, heart, and hand.
And especially: for you.

For every donation, every compassionate answer, every sharing, every silent reading –
Thank you for taking this journey with us.

We go home fulfilled.
But a part of us remains.
Here. In Hanoi.
In every new smile that brightens a child’s face.

This is love in action.