Day of Smiles 2016 at Baptist Children’s Hospital

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” that was the sentiment expressed by one of the adolescent patients about to undergo surgery at the 2016 Day of Smiles at Baptist Children’s Hospital. While the surgical experience can usually be a stressful one for children and their families, this morning was one filled with optimism about the positive changes to come in the physical appearance of 13 patients.

“It’s been rainy over the last few days in Miami, but today is a beautiful day for all of these patients,” said Rafael Gottenger, M.D., a plastic surgeon with Baptist Health South Florida. “This is a great day to give back to the community,” he added.

This is the 15th year that Baptist Children’s Hospital has donated its facilities and charitable funds to perform corrective cosmetic surgeries for South Florida children and young adults. Doctors from various specialties, including plastic surgery, oral surgery and anesthesiology, donated their time and expertise for this cause. Many of the nurses and surgical teams lending their support call it “their favorite day of the year.”

Some of the surgeries that were performed included cleft lip and palate revisions, lip and nose revisions, ear deformities and scar revisions.

The Baptist Health South Florida News Team was there to capture the excitement of this life-changing day of surgery. We hope you enjoy some of the images.

Tags: Baptist Children's Hospital, Day of Smiles, reconstructive surgery