Our Mission
Saving Faces is a non-profit organization dedicated to bettering the lives of children with visible birth defects. We provide access to expert medical care and specialty surgeons who work together in a multi-disciplinary approach to solving complex deformities. Pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgery is a highly complex discipline with a limited number of available surgeons. Many of these patients are uninsured and often find difficulty obtaining the appropriate medical treatment. Rather than have local physicians who only occasionally see these deformities, Saving Faces will provide access to a team of specialists who are specifically trained in this field and can achieve superior outcomes. Surgery will be performed at our affiliated Children’s Hospital to provide the best safety and peri-operative support. All physician services are donated and no fees will be assessed.
Clinical Arm
Saving Faces will prioritize physician directed care to children with severe and debilitating deformities and without the sufficient economic means. Initial consultations will be performed via email and telephone, particularly if travel restrictions exist.
The medical history and photographs will then be presented at a multi-disciplinary meeting of physicians, specialized nurses and ancillary staff where the appropriate treatment strategies will be then be dictated. Transport will be arranged for selected patients and their family for a complete physical examination and to go over surgical details.
After the surgery is completed, our team will perform at least one follow-up visit post-operatively, and subsequently appropriate local follow-up will be arranged near their homes. The cost of the housing and travel will be provided by the foundation.
Examples of Treatable Conditions
- Abnormal skull shapes
- Absent or deformed ears (microtia)
- Cleft Lip / Cleft Palate
- Malformations of the facial bones (orbit/maxilla/mandible)
- Disfiguring birthmarks (ie. giant congenital nevus)
- Facial Asymmetry (ie. Hemifacial microsomia)
- Facial Paralysis (ie. Bells/Mobius Syndrome)
- Facial Reconstruction after Cancer Resection
- Hypertelorism / Encephalocele
- Severe Burns
- Disfiguring Tumors of the Face (ie. Neurofibroma, Fibrous Dysplasia)
- Vascular Anomalies
Research Arm
A portion of the allocated funds will be used to support new and ongoing research projects in the areas of wound healing, tissue engineering and transplant surgery. Laboratory research will be performed at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at NSLIJ.
Funding
Funds will be allocated for:
1) Travel expenses / lodging for patients and their family. Small gifts for the patients and their families after the surgery are completed.
2) Funding research projects approved by the board which will be aimed at helping to improve the treatment of children with these facial deformities.
3) Bi-annual support group events: Patients, families, and all children with similar deformities will be united for recreational events including: retreats, arts and crafts, sporting events, etc… designed to help the children build self-esteem and make them realize they are not alone. In addition, this will provide a network for family members to develop a support group.
4) Developing and maintaining a website and public relations material necessary for promoting the foundation and raising awareness.