Facing the World
Encyclopedia
Facing the World is a United Kingdom
-based charity
that offers surgery
to children with facial disfigurements. All the children offered surgery are from poor countries where they would have no other access to surgery to help them overcome their disfigurements.
plastic surgeons
at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
. Both had formerly volunteered their time and skills to medical outreach charities abroad, but had been touched by cases of children that they were unable to help because of the limited facilities and lack of expertise in the countries in which they were working. With Facing the World they determined to bring children to the UK for surgery, rather than attempting to perform the operations with the limited infrastructure of the children's home countries. Bringing the children to the UK allowed them to draw on the skills of other like-minded UK medical professionals. Sarah Driver-Jowitt was hired to manage the charity and in 2004 an office was established close to the London
hospitals where the majority of the surgeries are performed. The charity was launched publicly on 15 February 2003 at a charity fund-raising premiere
of the film Solaris
attended by George Clooney
and his co-stars.
The children are assessed in their own country, so the doctors can ascertain whether the individual could be helped by surgery and what specialist care will be required. If the assessment is positive arrangements are made to fly the child to London for treatment. The medical team donate their services and the charity relies on fund raising and donations to fund the remaining medical costs, travel and accommodation for the child and a guardian.
Facing the World was featured in an hour-long Channel 4
documentary My New Face on 15 November 2006. The documentary covered the work of the charity over the period of a year, and featured the cases of Arianto from Jakarta, who suffered gigantism
of one side of his face caused by neurofibromatosis
; Ney, a Cambodian
boy who was born with encephalocele
(his brain protruded into his face through a defect in his skull); Zaynab, an eight-month old girl from Gaza
who had a cleft palate and hare lip; and Eyerusalem from Addis Ababa
, one of the charity's earliest patients who had a vascular malformation removed in 2003.
In February 2010, Facing the World managed to secure the paperwork to allow Landina Seignon, a three month old Haitian orphan to travel to the United Kingdom for treatment. Landina suffered a significant burns prior to the earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010. The hospital in which she was being treated collapsed and Landina was rescued two days later suffering a life threatening cranial fracture and necessitating the amputation of her right arm. Landina was brought to the United Kingdom for the craniofacial surgery that she desperately needed. Facing the World is covering all her medical and other costs.
Facing the World was featured in an hour long Five (TV Channel) documentary 7 New Faces in 7 Days on 28 June 2010. The documentary covered charities training visit to Danang, Vietnam and featured a number of the patients treated in Vietnam as well as three patients who came to the UK for training. Extraordinary People: 7 New Faces in 7 Days
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
that offers surgery
Reconstructive surgery
Reconstructive surgery is, in its broadest sense, the use of surgery to restore the form and function of the body, although Maxillo-Facial Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons and Otolaryngologists do reconstructive surgery on faces after trauma and to reconstruct the head and neck after cancer.Other...
to children with facial disfigurements. All the children offered surgery are from poor countries where they would have no other access to surgery to help them overcome their disfigurements.
History
Facing the World was set up in 2003 by Norman Waterhouse and Martin Hirigoyen Kelly, two craniofacialCraniofacial
Craniofacial may be used to describe certain congenital malformations, injuries, surgeons who subspecialize in this area, multi-disciplinary medical-surgical teams that treat and do research on disorders affecting this region, and organizations with interest in...
plastic surgeons
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a public hospital located on Fulham Road, in the Chelsea area of London, England. It is managed by the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and opened in May 1993.-History:...
. Both had formerly volunteered their time and skills to medical outreach charities abroad, but had been touched by cases of children that they were unable to help because of the limited facilities and lack of expertise in the countries in which they were working. With Facing the World they determined to bring children to the UK for surgery, rather than attempting to perform the operations with the limited infrastructure of the children's home countries. Bringing the children to the UK allowed them to draw on the skills of other like-minded UK medical professionals. Sarah Driver-Jowitt was hired to manage the charity and in 2004 an office was established close to the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
hospitals where the majority of the surgeries are performed. The charity was launched publicly on 15 February 2003 at a charity fund-raising premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
of the film Solaris
Solaris (2002 film)
Solaris is a 2002 science fiction film and psychological drama directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney and Natascha McElhone...
attended by George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
and his co-stars.
Operation
The charity provides treatment for children from poor countries who have severe facial disfigurements that have significant functional challenges or are likely to cause them deep emotional and psychological trauma as a result of community stigma.The children are assessed in their own country, so the doctors can ascertain whether the individual could be helped by surgery and what specialist care will be required. If the assessment is positive arrangements are made to fly the child to London for treatment. The medical team donate their services and the charity relies on fund raising and donations to fund the remaining medical costs, travel and accommodation for the child and a guardian.
Facing the World was featured in an hour-long Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary My New Face on 15 November 2006. The documentary covered the work of the charity over the period of a year, and featured the cases of Arianto from Jakarta, who suffered gigantism
Gigantism
Gigantism, also known as giantism , is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average...
of one side of his face caused by neurofibromatosis
Neurofibromatosis
Neurofibromatosis is a genetically-inherited disorder in which the nerve tissue grows tumors that may be benign or may cause serious damage by compressing nerves and other tissues...
; Ney, a Cambodian
Khmer people
Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
boy who was born with encephalocele
Encephalocele
Encephalocele, sometimes known by the Latin name cranium bifidum, is a neural tube defect characterized by sac-like protrusions of the brain and the membranes that cover it through openings in the skull. These defects are caused by failure of the neural tube to close completely during fetal...
(his brain protruded into his face through a defect in his skull); Zaynab, an eight-month old girl from Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
who had a cleft palate and hare lip; and Eyerusalem from Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, one of the charity's earliest patients who had a vascular malformation removed in 2003.
In February 2010, Facing the World managed to secure the paperwork to allow Landina Seignon, a three month old Haitian orphan to travel to the United Kingdom for treatment. Landina suffered a significant burns prior to the earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010. The hospital in which she was being treated collapsed and Landina was rescued two days later suffering a life threatening cranial fracture and necessitating the amputation of her right arm. Landina was brought to the United Kingdom for the craniofacial surgery that she desperately needed. Facing the World is covering all her medical and other costs.
Facing the World was featured in an hour long Five (TV Channel) documentary 7 New Faces in 7 Days on 28 June 2010. The documentary covered charities training visit to Danang, Vietnam and featured a number of the patients treated in Vietnam as well as three patients who came to the UK for training. Extraordinary People: 7 New Faces in 7 Days