What a great honour and absolute privilege it was to be part of the Aussi Bangla Smile team going to Bangladesh as pioneers for this very worthy mission. From humble beginnings, almost eighteen months ago just committing that I would like to be part of a group should go to something that got very big. The fundraising was great fun and it was truly heart-warming to experience the support of family and the generosity of the community. The group worked very well together as a team and although we worked very hard we still had great fun. Barb did a great job organising it and without her input things would surely not have gone as well as it did. I am very grateful to be a part of a project that brought a smile to those who were not able to smile before, who were outcast, different, not able to go to school or find a job. Changing their lives forever by an operation at a cost of AU$150 dollar, these children will be able to develop like every other child in the community, with dignity and a better chance in life. Thank you to all the team members, all the Bangladesh Drs’ and nurses, Ann Mitchell, Debbie, Urmee, Nelli, Rotary, family and friends. What a great, awesome experience, making a difference in someone’s life. Thankyou. Fran. 

Barbara Mitchell’s Story: 

Registered Nurse/midwife

Scrub nurse on the Bangladesh team. 

From day one, I was enthusiastic to join the group of eagre volunteers for this trip under the encouragement of our fearless leader “oh captain my captain” and friend Dr Hasan Sarwar. We totally pulled together to raise funds encorporating the help of our wonderful friends and families without whom none of this would have been possible and to whom we are all most grateful. We supported each other through reams of paperwork and redtape to find ourselves amazingly on a plane to Bangladesh. The experience of the Jibon Tari floating Hospital was just amazing. It was like a little family unit. We were close to the patients for the entire three days. Visiting them in the early morning before we operated and late at night when tucked in their beds. In spite of the very late nights, early mornings and long hours in between on our feet, I enjoyed every minute. A great sense of achievement, pride and comradery with the wonderful people with whom I shared fifteen days. We spent every minute together. Laughing, crying, talking, reviewing the days events over tea and chocolate, discussing what crisis might come to bare on the following day, but enthusiastically running headlong into the next day. We were all overwhelmed by overtaking our target of 80 patients to accomplish 93 cases and happy that we may have made some difference, even as small as a drop in an enormous ocean. Every one of us acknowledges that this could not have been possible without the wonderful help of many hands. Doctors, anaesthetists and all the staff at all three centres. Some of the doctors even came back from the Jibon Tari and the Square Hospital to help us at Dhaka Community Hospital. We must have made some sort of impression - these boisterous , cheeky Aussie nurses. We were as sad to leave them behind as they were for us to go. I have a new appreciaton for patience, clean drinking water, fresh air, clear blue skies, my health and a million other things I have previously taken for granted. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been part of such a special undertaking and to have shared it with so many special people . Here’s to Aussie Bangla Smile 2008. Thank you all. Toujour amour. Barb. 

Fadia Campbell’s Story: 

Registered Nurse Anaesthetic/Recovery Nurse 

Since starting my career in nursing some 25 years ago, I always entertained the thought of doing something more to help mankind. Although I derive much satisfaction from my job, I believed that there should be more one can do to help people. I believe that I am lucky to have been born to a reasonably financially secure family and have been fortunate to live in a country such as Australia. I have seen many people suffering from hardship and often wondered what it would be like to be given the chance to have an improved life. Having had such feelings, it was no surprise that when the idea of the Aussi Bangla Smile project came about, I was very excited to be a part of this project. It certainly was a very satisfying journey starting from the creation of the team to the great experience we have all had in Bangladesh to the time we landed back home in Sydney. I was amazed by the courage, determination and selfless attitude of my teammates. We managed to organise fund raising activities, for most this was a first, and was surprised by the generosity of people from all walks of life. So much so we raised much more than expected which I am sure will support this project for a long time. Although I was apprehensive at first about going to a place I have never visited previously and to a culture I knew very little about, once there I felt very comfortable. The three hospitals we operated at were of different standards, however we were made welcome and were assisted by the staff and management of all hospitals and to our surprise we managed to beat our optimistic target of 80 patients achieving 93 procedures in total. In spite of the long hours and the pressure the team operated under, it felt great to be part of the team, and to see the smile on children’s faces and the reaction of parents after the procedures made it all worthwhile. I know that what we achieved is very little, however I hope that the momentum of what was started continues for a long time to come in order to help those who are less fortunate than most of us. I know that I will remember this experience and what it had taught me forever, and now more than ever, I know that I am a very lucky person - lucky to have been part of this great team, lucky to have fulfilled a long held dream and lucky to have had the opportunity to give something back to this wonderful planet we live in. It goes without saying, had it not have been for a wonderful group of dedicated friends, this experience would have never been possible. Thank you to each and every one.  

Judy Barlow’s Story: 

Registered Nurse Anaesthetic/recovery nurse on the team.   

About the trip. -  Firstly the fact that we had a year to get used to the reality of it and then see it come together under your wonderful captaincy was alone very inspiring. Your drive, enthusiasm and such spirit is beautiful. The fun in the fund raising and the community interest was terrific. Hasan reassuring us that we could make a difference as a team under his guidance in reality, proved to be awesome. I loved the Bangladeshi people. They were so still, quiet and patient and their heartfelt thanks was very gratifying and humbling. Their beautiful smiles and perfect white straight teeth, and the simple quiet tilt of the head to mean yes was beautiful. The fact that we kept driving forward to meet and even exceeed our goals was very satisfying, showing that we were totally patient-focussed. I loved our debriefs at the end of the day and the laughs we all enjoyed despite all being weary and then enthusiasm every morning for what the day would bring was there right to the very last day. The patients were a pleasure to nurse, both young and old, while the relatives told their story to us through an interpreter. We in turn were a facination for them and every aspect of our lives totally unreal to them. We all left with warm hearts knowing we had made a difference, to many people and touched many lives. En route home there was eager lengthy talk about all the things we will do next visit, which says it all! Roll on Aussi Bangla Smile 2008          Love Jude 

Phil Goyen’s story: 

Producer Today Tonight

(Phil went to Bangladesh with Anna Coren, Jason Hinch, and Andrew Cichanowski, to do the story on our October mission which aired on Wednesday 7th November 2007) 

Reflections: Poverty, real poverty, smells - that’s what hits you first, it then takes over every part of your body, physically and emotionally. Visiting a third world country is confronting, it always is. That was the case when I recently visited Bangladesh in South Asia. I was there to produce a story about the “Aussibangla Smile” team, a group of remarkable medics who volunteer their time and expertise to change the lives of some of the worlds poorest people. They were in Dhaka, the countries capital city, to operate on close to 100 children who were born with cleft-palates and hairlips. For most those deformities are a life sentence, they can’t go to school and will never marry, simply because of what they look like. One by one the patients passed through the doors at Dhaka Community Hospital. Inside the operating theatre our Aussie angles, nurses and an anesthetist carefully rebuilt each face. Some procedures took 20 minutes, others took many hours, every one was handled with so much love. Watching the team work together was impressive - the way they comforted each terrified patient and the methods they used to teach local nurses how to operate using safer practices. It was easy to forget their was a language barrier. I’ve always been a big supporter of nurses. They are under-paid and certainly under-valued. We live in a country where we can afford to acknowledge them, so let’s do it. Let’s be grateful for what we’ve got. Look around. Look at what you have. Smile. Because you can. Phil Goyen Producer Today Tonight 

Dr Steve Cooper’s Story:

Anaesthetist

I am a 50 year old middle-class fat-cat who gets pretty well paid do stuff that I find fairly easy.  Sure, life was harder in the early days and sometimes my work is a bit stressful and/or exhausting but overall, I’m on easy street. La dolce vita.   About a year ago I found a computer memory stick lying on the OT change room floor at Nepean Hospital.  Easy, I’ll just plug it in and find outwho it belongs to…….It was Hasan’s and had an early version of his proposal for Aussie Bangla Smile complete with photos.  After returning the memory stick I got to thinking about some of those photos………… Surely it is not right that a person must go through their entire life with something like an ugly gaping cleft lip and palate simply because they were born poor in a remote 3rd world village. Maybe it was about time in my life that I did something for someone else without any prospect of reward or personal gain……hmmm. Thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of Barbara and her many helpers, as well as the generosity of all those who donated, I was able to join the team. The work was tedious, conditions primitive and obstacles frequent……welcome to Bangladesh!  I cannot say that I had to be dragged onto the airliner for the homeward flight.  I was pretty glad to have finished my tour of duty.  I can say that I found some of the nicest people I have ever met and have seen some of the most beautiful children.  Hasan, you are a true hero of your people, good luck with future plans. Thanks girls for putting up with a grumpy old Aussie bloke. I recommend this trip to any anaesthetist who could use a boost to their self-esteem .  SC