jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ]

jill gora: we all, in our hearts, want to be able to provide free surgery for every single person but there simply isn't enough money for us to do that and, with the help of our donors, i'm hoping that one day, we never will have to turn anyone away. >> announcer: you can provide a complete surgery for one waiting child right now, by becoming an operation smile partner. it costs only $240. or, if you prefer, you can pledge $20 a month. your gifts will help send our teams and equipment all year round and help ensure that we can provide surgery, free of charge, to every child in need, so no child has to be turned away. thousands of children are waiting. please, go to your phone now, help us change lives, one smile at a time. >> roma downey: as zenaida plays, juan is visibly nervous in the moments before surgery. [ music ] [ speaking in foreign language ] [ child crying ] though he's a strong man, juan could not hold back his tears. it's hard to hand your precious baby off to a stranger. many of these parents have never even been to a hospital before. because she and her father traveled

jill gora: we all, in our hearts, want to be able to provile person but there simply isn't enough money for us to do that and, with the help of our donors, i'm hoping that one day, we never will have to turn anyone away. >> announcer: you can provide a complete surgery for one waiting child right now, by becoming an operation smile partner. it costs only $240. or, if you prefer, you can pledge $20 a month. your gifts will help send our teams and equipment all year round and help ensure that we can provide surgery, free of charge, to every child in need, so no child has to be turned away. thousands of children are waiting. please, go to your phone now, help us change lives, one smile at a time. >> roma downey: as zenaida plays, juan is visibly nervous in the moments before surgery. [ music ] [ speaking in foreign language ] [ child crying ] though he's a strong man, juan could not hold back his tears. it's hard to hand your precious baby off to a stranger. many of these parents have never even been to a hospital before. because she and her father traveled so far, doctors decided to repai

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life, >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: as a mother, i would do anything i could to help my child live a normal life. and i'm sure you would, too. but what if you couldn't do anything? what if you were totally helpless? that's the situation for hundreds and thousands of parents in developing countries whose children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate. in the united states, these deformities are corrected shortly after birth. but in many countries around the world, these children are left untreated and are shunned. [ music ] [ children's voices ] >> roma downey: i'm in le loi hospital. the volunteer operation smile medical team has come from all over the world to perform surgeries, and parents have brought their children here, hoping that they'll be selected.

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: as a mother, i would do anything i could to help my child live a normal life. and i'm sure you would, too. but what if you couldn't do anything? what if you were totally helpless? that's the situation for hundreds and thousands of parents in developing countries whose children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate. in the united states these deformities are corrected shortly after birth. but in many countries around the world these children are left untreated and are shunned. [ music ] [ children's voices ] >> roma downey: i'm in le loi hospital. the volunteer operation smile medical team has come from all over the world to perform surgeries, and parents have brought their children here, hoping that they'll be selected. nine-year-ol

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life, >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: as a mother, i would do anything i could to help my child live a normal life. and i'm sure you would, too. but what if you couldn't do anything? what if you were totally helpless? that's the situation for hundreds and thousands of parents in developing countries whose children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate. in the united states, these deformities are corrected shortly after birth.

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: as a mother, i would do anything i could to help my child live a normal life. and i'm sure you would, too. but what if you couldn't do anything? what if you were totally helpless? that's the situation for hundreds and thousands of parents in developing countries whose children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate. in the united states these deformities are corrected shortly after birth. but in many countries around the world these children are left untreated and are shunned. [ music ] [ children's voices ] >> roma downey: i'm in le loi hospital. the volunteer operation smile medical team has come from all over the world to perform surgeries, and parents have brought their children here, hoping that they'll be selected. nine-year-old sut has been ridic

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life. >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: hello, i'm roma downey. about thirteen years ago when i was filming "touched by an angel," we did a story about an organization called operation smile. i saw children who had been born with facial deformities. the doctors and nurses, all volunteers,

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life, >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: as a mother, i would do anything i could to help my child live a normal life. and i'm sure you would, too. but what if you couldn't do anything? what if you were totally helpless? that's the situation for hundreds and thousands of parents in developing countries whose children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate. in the united states, these deformities are corrected shortly after birth. but in many countries around the world, these children are left untreated and are shunned.

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life, >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: as a mother, i would do anything i could to help my child live a normal life. and i'm sure you would, too. but what if you couldn't do anything? what if you were totally helpless? that's the situation for hundreds and thousands of parents in developing countries whose children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate. in the united states, these deformities are corrected shortly after birth. but in many countries around the world, these children are left untreated and are shunned. [ music ] [ children's voices ] >> roma downey: i'm in le loi hospital. the volunteer operation smile medical team has come from all over the world to perform surgeries, and parents have brought their children here, hoping that they'll be selected. nine-year-old sut has been rid

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life. >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: hello, i'm roma downey. about thirteen years ago when i was filming "touched by an angel," we did a story about an organization called operation smile. i saw children who had been born with facial deformities. the doctors and nurses, all volunteers, giving these kids free surgeries for 25 years. and i was profoundly moved. so i volunteered as well. it's truly been among the most rewarding work i've ever done. watch and see why. nine year old sut has been ridiculed and rejected all his life. sut isn't even his real name but that's what he's been called from the day he was born. sut means "harelip" a terrible name for a child born with a cleft lip. he's from a very poor family who could never afford surgery. when he was five he went for his first day of sc

. >> dr. jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life.

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life. >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: hello, i'm roma downey. about thirteen years ago when i was filming "touched by an angel," we did a story about an organization called operation smile. i saw children who had been born with facial deformities. the doctors and nurses, all volunteers, giving these kids free surgeries for 25 years. and i was profoundly moved. so i volunteered as well. it's truly been among the most rewarding work i've ever done. watch and see why. nine year old sut has been ridiculed and rejected all his life. sut isn't even his real name but that's what he's been called from the day he was born. sut means "harelip" a terrible name for a child born with a cleft lip. he's from a very poor family who could never afford surgery. when he was five he went for his first day of sc

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life, >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn. i can't think of another word but phenomenal. [ music ] >> roma downey: as a mother, i would do anything i could to help my child live a normal life. and i'm sure you would, too. but what if you couldn't do anything? what if you were totally helpless? that's the situation for hundreds and thousands of parents in developing countries whose children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate. in the united states, these deformities are corrected shortly after birth. but in many countries around the world, these children are left untreated and are shunned. [ music ] [ children's voices ] >> roma downey: i'm in le loi hospital. the volunteer operation smile medical team has come from all over the world to perform surgeries, and parents have brought their children here, hoping that they'll be selected. nine-year-old sut has been rid

jill gora: every child deserves a fair chance at life. >> peggy stillman: it may only take an hour to do something that will change their lives forever. >> noreen kessler: and you just see a whole new person, a whole new beginning. it's almost like they're reborn.