The image of 9-year-old Wyclif's tear-stained face will be one Bountiful High School senior Melissa Hepworth will carry forever.
The young Kenyan boy, afflicted with a tumor extending from forehead to chin, had been abandoned by his family at a local hospital at the age of 7. Alone and ignored because of his extensive facial deformity, Wyclif had spent two years of his childhood in virtual solitude, periodically incapacitated by crippling pain from the tumor on his face.It was at this hospital, located in Kissimu, Kenya, that 18-year-old Hepworth was assigned to serve a service mission for Operation Smile, an organization dedicated to surgically treating facial deformities, such as cleft palate and cleft lip, in underprivileged children the world over.
The two immediately struck up an unusual friendship. Hepworth taught the young boy how to blow bubbles and spray a squirt gun, seemingly normal childhood activities in which Wyclif had never had the opportunity to participate. The differences between the two had no effect on the relationship, as Wyclif began to call Hepworth "mama," a word which, in Wyclif's native tongue of Swahili means "respected woman."
"We had the language barrier there," said Hepworth. "I didn't speak his language, he didn't speak mine. But we knew exactly what the other was saying."
This situation, although unusually strong, is only a glimpse of the bonds made between the people who served on this Operation Smile mission and their young patients. The team that traveled to Kissimu, consisting of about 30 doctors, surgeons and teens from all over the world, operated on 72 children from Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, 1998.
According to Hepworth, the path to this service opportunity was anything but easy.
To even be selected to serve an Operation Smile mission, Hepworth was required to file an application, write an essay and prove that she had served enough hours in her school branch of Operation Smile, a club of which Hepworth is an officer.
"You have to show that you're willing to work hard for Operation Smile," says Hepworth.
After being accepted to the mission, Hepworth found that preparation for the trip was almost as much time and effort as the actual period spent in Kenya.
One of the responsibilities for the youth on the mission was to entertain the children during their stay in the hospital. Taking this job seriously, Hepworth immediately set to work buying toys and sewing tooth-shaped pillows to take over with her, planning to distribute them throughout her mission. Other expenses she encountered included pre-travel doctor's visits, malaria pills and two week's worth of surgical scrubs.
"It can get really expensive if you're not careful," said Hepworth, adding that her hotel accommodations and flight to Kenya were covered by Operation Smile.
After preparing for over two months, Hepworth left Salt Lake City for JFK International in New York. She immediately encountered difficulties as the plane leaving Salt Lake was delayed, arriving in New York with only an hour and a half remaining before her overseas flight to London was set to depart. Because of rules dictating check-in be no later than two hours before international flights, Hepworth was nearly kept from boarding and, as a result, the airline lost her luggage, including all the toys and gifts she had prepared for the children.
"It was really disappointing, especially after all that work. I can only hope that the toys made it through and are being enjoyed by some kids somewhere in Kenya," said Hepworth.
Upon arrival in Nairobi, Kenya, Hepworth immediately sensed both the differences and similarities of the world she had traveled to.
"I looked out the window and saw a giraffe. That was totally weird to me," said Hepworth. "At the same time, though, I began to realize that this place really wasn't all that different from home."
One of the things that helped her to adjust so quickly, says Hepworth, were the people. She was immediately impressed by their kindness and helpfulness.
"The people were so humble," she said. "They didn't have anything, and so they based everything on friendship, love and companionship instead of money and time." Although she felt a connection with the people and place, Hepworth also saw and experienced things that made her realize that she was not in America anymore. A meal consisting of three small potatoes took two hours to receive.
The bus carrying the Operation Smile workers broke down on the bumpy roads, causing them to miss appointments and scheduled events. Delayed shipments of required medical supplies cut out three of the four surgical preparation days and required the entire team to work on one of their only days off to prepare for the first day of surgery.
Once she began in her duties, however, Hepworth forgot all the frustrations and complications. The time spent with the children, both teaching and entertaining, was both extensive and valuable to both the students and the teachers.
"Our primary goal [as teens] was to educate. To go out and teach the kids how to brush their teeth and treat burns.
"We also taught them how to rehydrate themselves and eat nutritiously," said Hepworth.
Throughout the two weeks she was in Kenya, Hepworth experienced many of the triumphs and defeats that are inherent in medical service. While their mission alone gave 72 children new smiles and a brighter future, they also lost a patient in surgery, a rare occurrence for Operation Smile.
"It was hard to know that we lost someone," said Hepworth. "The mother of the child was very understanding, though. She was pregnant at the time and told us that if her unborn child ended up having a cleft lip, she would bring him to us anytime. That made it a little easier; to know that she understood."
By the end of her mission, Hepworth felt that she had achieved her goals, both personal and service-based. She found it easier to appreciate what she did have, while realizing that having nothing doesn't necessarily mean being unhappy. The greatest thing, says Hepworth, is the knowledge that you've helped someone.
"When you serve someone, you not only serve the one but everyone that that person comes in contact with; their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends . . . everyone is changed for the better. Knowing that is a great feeling."
Hepworth strongly encourages the experience for other teens because the service helps the giver as much, if not more than, the receiver. She does, however, caution anyone considering an Operation Smile mission to prepare and be flexible.
"Service is the greatest thing you can do for your life. Go in with an open mind, though, and expect to see some things that might be a culture shock. Above all, respect the people you serve and embrace their differences."