Creating Smiles,
Improving Lives
Austin Smiles Blog
The Team
Pictured: (nearly) the entire Austin Smiles team Not pictured: volunteer photographer Kris Kennedy Photo by (you guessed it!) Kris Kennedy
A Well-Deserved Break
Leilani Briseno didn't get injured, but after working as a scrub tech while also serving as Medical Missions Director, she did get tired enough to take a break in a wheelchair. Photo by Kris Kennedy
Sister Act
From pre-op care to post-op care, nurses (and sisters) Carrie Bailey (right) and Pearl Falkenberg tended to dozens of patients and their families during the weeklong mission. Photo by Kris Kennedy
Esteban Smiles, Por Supuesto
Speaking English without even a trace of an accent, Guatemalan volunteer Esteban Flores taught several Austin Smiles volunteers that the word "indeed" translates as "por supuesto." Here, Esteban, who plans to attend Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., next year,...
Austin Smiles, Indeed
After ushering 62 patients through successful post-op recoveries, nurses Mary Kay Lauden (left) and Cindy Thomas had reason to smile. Photo by Kris Kennedy
Boast The Roast!
The mission tapped the spirit of volunteerism, but it wasn't without its perks. Here, volunteers Stephanie Ashby (left) and Cesca Judge show off the Guatemalan coffee that many team members ordered and would eventually take home. Photo by Kris Kennedy
Shared Experience
Most days, the work lasted from 7:20 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. On Sunday through Tuesday nights, team members would find a quick dinner near the hotel, order room service or simply go without dinner, preferring sleep to food. Here, on Wednesday night, several team members...
Morning Meeting
Each morning, the Austin Smiles team ate a quick breakfast and then assembled on the front steps of the hotel before embarking on a pair of vans for the 20-minute drive to MPSC. Here, Mission Administrator Martha Mashburn rallies the first phase of the troops while...
Sunrise
Morning light falls on father and son. Photo by Kris Kennedy
Mother And Daughter
Six-year-old Juliana Letran shares a moment with her mom, Marleni. Photo by Kris Kennedy
Mother And Son
Following his palatoplasty with Dr. Gorman, 11-year-old Marvin Canel Paxon finds comfort in familiar company. Photo by Kris Kennedy
Dream
Asleep after his lip repair on Wednesday, three-month-old Angel Lopez Carias will wake to a new reality. Photo by Kris Kennedy
1 in 700 children are born with a cleft lip or palate
$250 covers the cost of one life-changing surgery
150 volunteers annually will change a child’s life forever
Medical Mission Trips
Austin Smiles goes on 2-3 medical mission trips annually
Our Local Services
Our local program support for children born with Cleft Lip and Palate in Texas
Sponsor a Child
Make a difference for a child in need