November 4, 2009 

Operation Smile in Vietnam 

Today I flew to Vietnam to participate in the "Twenty Years of Smiles: A Journey of Miracles" event for Operation Smile. In case you don’t know, Operation Smile is an organization that provides free life-changing surgery for children who were born with cleft lips and/or palates. When a child is born with a facial deformity like this, they are unable to eat properly, speak clearly, or even smile. Although the surgery to correct these deformities is relatively simple and inexpensive, many families don’t have the money. So Operation Smile sends doctors and nurses all over the world to help. After receiving the surgeries, children can lead a normal life. 

Immediately after the plane landed, I drove straight to the hospital to meet some of the doctors and volunteers and to visit with the children who have the disfiguring cleft lips or palates. It was heartbreaking to see these children suffering with deformities that could easily be fixed with a simple and inexpensive surgery. I spent some time playing with the kids and visiting with the volunteers. I also talked with Dr. Bill Magee, the co-founder of Operation Smile. Back in 1982, Bill and his wife Kathy began Operation Smile and since then the organization has helped over 135,000 children. They have a worldwide network of volunteers, many of them doctors who have been trained by Bill, and they work in 51 different countries. When I realized how much time, effort, and heart has gone into making Operation Smile a success, I was even more admiring of Bill and Kathy Magee.

Arriving at the hospital with Miss Vietnam 2006 Mai Phuong Thuy

Dr. Bill Magee

After the visit ended, I left to go to a press conference. I don’t mind attending these kinds of press events and even hope for as many journalists and photographers as possible to be there. Why? Because the more press coverage, the more people know about the great work that organizations like Operation Smile are doing. As you know from reading my diaries, I get really tired when I do the press junkets to promote my movies. Although they are necessary, I end up having to answer the same questions a dozen times. For something like this, though, I am happy to attend and talk at length about the organization and all the children that it’s helped. 

In the evening I attended a gala dinner to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Operation Smile in Vietnam. During the gala I met a young girl from New York named Danielle Winick. Danielle is the Chairman of the Junior Committee for Operation Smile and she raised USD $60,000 for the organization! It made me so happy to see such a young person who was already involved in charity work. I think that if all children are introduced to charity work when they are young, it will become a way of life for them and as a result, more people can get help.

Bill and Kathy Magee

Danielle Winick (center) raised US $60,000 for Operation Smile! That's her Mom with us.

At the gala dinner I was presented with the National Medal for Peace and Friendship Among Nations award. Afterwards, I sang Happy Birthday to Operation Smile Vietnam and helped cut the cake.

November 5, 2009

Today was an amazing day for me and from now on you must call me “Dr. Chan” because I helped with an actual surgery! Actually, that’s not really true; I was mostly an observer. I held some gauze and watched as Dr. Magee did an operation that would change the life of a little 6 month-old boy. When the surgery began, Dr. Magee got right to work and I watched in amazement as he made a cut here, a cut there and sewed everything up in about an hour. Done! When the operation was over, a little boy whose face was disfigured and who could not eat properly was completely healed! 

This is 6-month-old Quy Thien Tran before the surgery. He is the first child to be operated on for the 20th Anniversary of Operation Smile Vietnam.

After the surgery, I noticed that every muscle in my body was aching. I thought this was curious because I exercise regularly. But I felt tired in muscles I didn’t even know I had! I really admire the doctors and nurses who work in operating rooms; they have to stand for many hours, concentrating intensely and all the muscles in their bodies are put to use. Still, I am quite happy that I was able to observe the surgery. 

Just think how incredible it is that the life of a child can be changed dramatically in a period of 45 minutes. They can go from having a cleft lip and crooked nose to having a perfectly normal face like everyone else, the only exception being a small scar above the lip. The moment when the operation ended and I carried the baby out, I felt a sudden rush of emotions. When I slowly handed the baby back into his mother’s arms, I could see the heartfelt happiness in her eyes and the endless gratitude from her smile; tears rolled down her cheeks. She knew that from that day on, her son would be able drink milk without it leaking out of his cleft lip and he’d be able to speak clearly. And the most important thing is that he’ll be able to regain his dignity and self-respect. Congenital defects such as cleft lip or cleft palate in Vietnam are like a curse from the heavens above. When a baby with this kind of defect is born, the parents become very afraid so they either throw their baby in the garbage can, allowing fate to determine the baby’s destiny; or they lock them up inside the house, not allowing them to go outside and not allowing anyone to visit them. Even if a child does have the opportunity to attend class with other students or eat lunch together, no one is willing to sit opposite them; students will only sit alongside them because they don’t want to see the child eat and then see the child’s food dribble out from the cleft gap. Children make fun of them behind their backs. 

Basically, it only costs USD$210 to change a child’s life. If we don’t buy the latest mobile phone, buy one less designer item or sing one fewer song at KTV, we’ll be able to use this money to change the life of maybe one, ten, one hundred, or even thousands of children. This is such a simple thing to do. I believe that as long as there are people out there with compassionate hearts, these children can be helped. 

I want to tell you about an encounter I learned of while I was at Operation Smile Vietnam. A Vietnamese veteran who took part in the US-Vietnam war, walked up to an American volunteer, also a veteran of the same war, and shook hands with him. He also said, “I’m here because I want to express my thanks to you. You might not know who I am but I know that you were a soldier in the US-Vietnam war. Back in those days, I was also a soldier and I fought as your enemy. So many years have passed and I still remember the war, but today I’m here to express my thanks. My daughter has a cleft lip and because of you, she is now healed. When we fought in the war, so many people died from both of our respective army camps. Many, many people lost their homes and lost the people closest to them.” 

Today, because of a young girl, because of love, enemies have become friends. I didn’t realize that peace could be that simple; it can turn violence into harmony. In fact, I think that as long as we have love and a compassionate heart, there will be no more tears in the world.

Photos courtesy Operation Smile Vietnam

11月4日 (星期三)

为微笑行动前往越南:

今天飞到越南，参加微笑行动的“二十的笑容:奇迹的旅程”二十周年活动。大家可能已经知道，微笑行动这个机构，专是为那些天生兔唇或裂鄂的小孩提供免费手术，从此改变小孩的生命。天生面部畸形的小孩，像这样的兔唇或裂鄂缺陷，他们想做日常平事例如吃东西，讲说话，甚至笑一笑,，都是非常困难。虽然修补兔唇或裂鄂的改形手术其实比较简单和廉价，但是很多家庭是没有钱，手术也给不起，所以微笑行动派出很多医生和护士去世界各地不同的地方帮助他们。小孩做完手术之后，由兔唇回到正常无缺的面容，他们就可以过一个正常的生活。

飞机到达机场后，我就马不停蹄，直接开车去医院，跟当地的医生和志愿者见面，还有探望这里的兔唇和裂鄂的小朋友。看到这些小孩因面部畸形受苦，但其实可以做一个简单和廉价的手术改好，真是令我感到非常心痛。我跟孩子们玩了一会儿，还与志愿者一起探望其他小朋友。我也跟微笑行动的创始人之一，比尔．马基(Bill Magee)，见面聊天。微笑行动成立于1982年，是比尔．马基和他夫人凯西．马基一起创办。自机构成立以来，他们已帮助超过13.5万的小孩。他们世界各地都有志愿者为机构做事，很多医生都是比尔．马基亲手训练，他们散播51个不同的国家。当我得知比尔．马基和凯西夫妇为微笑行动付出的时间，努力和心思，真是令我更欣赏和敬佩他们。

探望小朋友之后，我就离开，出席记者招待会。其实，出席这样的记者招待会我是不太介意的，而且我还希望更多摄影师和记者朋友都来出席这个会议。为什么呢? 如果我们可以得到更多媒体宣传，那就更多人会知道，微笑行动这样的机构，所做的伟大事迹。其实，如果你有看过我的日记，大家都知道我为新戏做宣传时，真是非常累。虽然做宣传是必要的，但是做完个又一个的访问，重复地回答同样的问题，真是很累的。但是为了像这样□有意义的事，我非常乐意参加这些招待会，还有讲解机构的事务和他们曾经帮助过的小朋友。

到了晚上，我出席微笑行动在越南建立二十周年的宴会，还认识了一位来自纽约的女孩，她叫Danielle Winick。Danielle是微笑行动青年委员会的主席，而且她为微笑行动筹得6万元美金善款! 见到那么年轻的人已经投入做慈善工作，真是太高兴了。如果可以趁孩子还年轻的时候，鼓励他们参加慈善工作，这会跟他们的生命融合成为平常生活，因此更多人能得到帮助。

晚会上，他们颁发一个国家和平友好的全国章奖给我。之后，我为越南微笑行动献唱生日歌，还与他们切蛋糕。

 

11月5日 (星期四)

今天真是太棒了。从现在开始，大家要称我为“陈医生”，因为今天我在手术过程里担任助手! 其实，这样说不是太真的；大部分的时间，我只是观察手术过程，有时帮助马基医生拉扯肌肉、协助操刀，然后用纱布止血。我看着马基医生，为只得六个月大的小病人施手术，从此改变婴儿的命运。手术开始时，我很惊异地看着马基医生把小病人的上唇剪开，这边剪一下，那边剪一下，然后缝补，不到一个小时，手术就完成了!看到这位小孩由面部畸形，连吃饭也有困难，回到正常无缺的面容，这种欣喜的感觉和感动真是难以用笔墨形容。

做完手术之后，我全身的肌肉疼痛酸软。我都觉得奇怪，因为我经常做运动，但是参与手术比做运动还累! 我真是很欣赏在手术室内帮人施手术的医生和护士，他们要站住好几个小时，很专心和集中地做手术，动用他们所有的肌肉。虽然感到很累，但是可以看著一个改变命的手术实行，真是很开心。

真是难以想信，在短短的 45 分钟, 就可以把一个小孩子的命运改变过来。 从原来的兔唇歪鼻, 变成跟正常人的脸一样, 只是唇上多了一道小疤痕。 当完成手术, 我抱著小孩的呢一刹那, 我自己有点激动, 慢慢我把小孩交到他妈妈手裹的时候, 我看到这位母亲的眼神, 由内心而发的开心和无尽感激的笑容, 热泪从她的脸上流下来, 她知道从这天起, 她的儿子以后喝饮不会漏奶, 说话不会口齿不清, 最重要的是能够拿回尊严和尊重。 在越南的习族先天性的缺憾如兔唇, 裂鄂, 就是上天给他们的诅咒。 他们会很害怕, 就会把婴孩丢到垃圾堆中自生自灭, 或许把他困在家裹, 不容许外出, 也别人家看到他。 就算有机会跟其他小孩在一起上课或食饭, 他们谁都不愿意坐在他对面, 只愿意并排而坐。 因为他们不想看到他边食饭, 另一边唇齿间的裂缝漏出食物来, 小朋友们背著他嗤笑。

原本改变改变这个小孩的命运只需要 210 美元, 只要我们少买一部新型手提, 少买一个名牌物品, 少唱一次 KTV, 这些钱就可以改变, 一个、十个、一百个甚至更多的小孩。 这么简单的事情, 我猜很多人, 只要有一份爱心, 就会帮到这些小朋友。 还有一个真实的故事发生在一个聚会上, 一个曾参与美越战争的一个越南将军, 他走到一个亦曾参与这场战争的美国将军面前握手。 并跟他说：_我来这裹是想跟你道谢, 你可能不知道我是谁, 但我知道你是当年越战的将军。 当年我也是你敌国的将军。 这么多年都记住这场战争, 但今天我来跟你道谢的原因是因为我的女儿是兔唇的, 是你们把她治好。 当年打仗你我的军队都死丢了那么多人, 令到很多很多人失去家园, 失去至亲。 今天就是因为一个小女孩, 一份爱, 敌人也变成朋友, 原来和平是这么简单, 可以将暴戾化为和谐。其实只要我们都拿出一份爱, 世界再没有眼泪。