Dr. Paul Gardner’s Mission Work

Operation Smile is an organization that was founded in 1982 and is known for the work done by volunteer surgeons to correct facial deformities. These surgeries are mostly done on young children in third world countries who might not otherwise have access to or be able to afford the surgery. Although Dr. Gardner has mentioned the organization’s strong desire to specifically target children, he has shared stories of several adults he has treated with Operation Smile, and how truly inspiring it has been to have the ability to help people of all ages.

In his experience, Dr. Gardner notes time efficiency as one of the more important aspects of mission work. He always knew he wanted to do mission work, and chose Operation Smile because of the efficiency in setting up and recruiting patients to each mission site. With just a couple weeks to actually screen for and do the surgery, Dr. Gardner notes it is about doing the maximum amount of good in the minimum amount of time.