My name is Torin Thielhelm, and I am a PGY-4 Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery resident at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. This July, I will be participating in a medical mission to Tanzania with Healing the Children Northeast Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our team will be performing ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery procedures on children with various conditions, including cleft lip, cleft palate, and microtia.
Our team treats cleft lip and palate deformities, which are two types of birth defects that occur during the early stages of pregnancy. When the nose, lip, palate and jaw are supposed to fuse but fail to do so, this results in a deformity known as a cleft lip or palate. The cleft lip is a gap in between the nose and mouth, while the cleft palate is a fissure on the roof of the mouth. These deformities can make eating, drinking, speaking and, in some cases, breathing difficult. Many children around the world go untreated and live in isolation. Cleft surgery is simple and the results are life altering.
Healing The Children Northeast provides medical and dental services to children throughout the world who lack medical and financial resources. Fifteen chapters are located across the United States and work together to provide services to children, both domestically and abroad. Healing the Children Northeast is a Connecticut based non-profit organization founded in 1985.
I am seeking your support in raising funds to cover the costs for my attendance on this medical mission. I am also seeking your support to cover the costs of medical and surgical supplies for the mission. Any donation is helpful!
