Dragons’ Den star funds life-changing charity trip
DRAGONS’ Den tycoon Duncan Bannatyne has funded a life-changing charity mission in the Philippines.
In association with Operation Smile, the Clydebankborn businessman has given more than £120,000 to provide surgery for over 120 children born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities.
Duncan said: “I went on my first Operation Smile mission in 2013 to Mexico.
“I have done a lot of work for charity over the years, but this was by far the most emotional experience I have ever had in my life.”
It is a particularly poignant trip as the Philippines is where Operation Smile was started by Bill and Kathy Magee 35 years ago.
Duncan, who is an ambassador of the charity and donated his fee for appearing on I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! to support its work, also funded a mission to Ghana, following previous trips to Mexico and Vietnam to see for himself the life-changing operations being carried out by the charity.
On his visits, he witnessed some of the surgeries firsthand and got to know many of the parents and children who the charity is helping.
Duncan added: “Charity work often leaves you feeling depressed and helpless, thinking ‘there must be more I can do’. Operation Smile is different.
“You see first-hand a child’s life changed forever by a simple operation that takes less than one hour. You see the children’s new smile and the happy tears of their parents. For me, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“Their parents can watch them have a normal childhood with friends, get an education and fall in love.
“We need to keep making this happen because there are still so many children suffering.”
Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity with a presence in more than 60 countries, whose network of more than 5400 medical volunteers from over 80 countries is dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children.
Since its founding in 1982, Operation Smile has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities.
To build long-term self-sufficiency in resource poor environments, Operation Smile trains doctors and local medical professionals in its partner countries so they are empowered.
Operation Smile also donates medical equipment, supplies and provides year-round medical treatment through its worldwide centres.