Hull boy helps 10 children with cleft lip and palate

HELP: Jack Smith and his family are helping plastic surgery charity OPSA

A young man has helped 10 children with cleft lip and palates undergo treatment in Pakistan after his face was transformed by a Hull surgeon. Jack Smith, 21, underwent five operations on the NHS after he was born with a cleft lip and palate.

However, he underwent his final operation at Spire Hospital after plastic surgeon Muhammad Riaz and anaesthetist Dr Zahid Rafique waived their fees because the operation could not be funded by the NHS.

Now, Jack's family and Spire Hospital have donated £2,000 to Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal (OPSA), an East Yorkshire charity helping people with cleft lip and palates in Pakistan.

HAPPY: Jack Smith and his mum Beverley

Jack, who lives in Anlaby, said: "I was worried about how much money my family would have to spend but this has made a lot of difference to my nose and lip. 

"I think other people deserve the help I got and just because they live in a different country shouldn't mean they can't get great doctors and good medical treatment."

Jack's Own Procedure

Here are some of Jack's before and after images from his own Cleft Nose Deformity procedure by Mr Muhammad Riaz.

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The Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal (OPSA) was formed by plastic surgeon Nick Hart in 1998 and now doctors and nurses from East Yorkshire including Mr Riaz and Dr Rafique offer their services for free to help people with cleft lips and palates in Pakistan.

“We still thought there was room for improvement so we went to Spire Hospital and read about the work of Mr Riaz. We thought he must really care for people with cleft lip and palates and he was an excellent surgeon so we went to see him.

We couldn’t believe it when he said he would take no fee and Dr Rafique wouldn’t take a fee either. It was just so generous. Although we paid the hospital fees, we said we would make a substantial donation to the charity.

I know how I felt when Jack was born and I thought of children in Pakistan with no health service and having to go through their entire lives because they are so poor they can’t afford treatment. This charity changes lives and we were glad to help.”

— Mrs Smith (Jack's Mum)

Cleft lip and palates affect about one in every 600 children in the UK but most undergo corrective surgery within a year. In Pakistan, it affects one in every 520 babies but, with no national health service, many are forced to live with the condition.

The surgeons and anaesthetists travel to the country twice a year with theatre staff and volunteers to provide hope for thousands of families. This year, they opened the world's first hospital for children with cleft lip and palates.

Jack's mum Beverley, 49, said Jack underwent his first surgery when he was just three months old and underwent another four operations as his face changed as he grew up.

When he was 16, Jack's nose changed shape and the family had to seek a second opinion from Mr Hart after they were told it was unlikely another NHS operation would be possible because it would not make much difference.