Going the Extra Miles for Smiles

Photos from L to R: (1) Pre-surgical orthodontic treatment called NAM (2) Genetic Counseling (3) Cleft surgery (4) Speech Therapy

It was just another manic Monday as parents and their children with varying cleft conditions milled in the Emergency Clinic annexed to Our Lady of Peace Hospital in Paranaque. In a corner sat a man who stood out not just because of his snow-white hair and large built, but also for the immense calm he radiated amidst the chaos… he is the one who started it after all.

Shortly after graduating with a medical degree from the University of Iowa, Dr. M. Samuel Noordhoff and his wife, Lucy, made the long journey across the ocean to Taiwan in 1959 as medical missionaries. The very next day Dr. Sam started learning to speak Taiwanese. The following year he became the superintendent of Mackay Memorial Hospital where he stayed for the next 16 years. In 1976, he became the first superintendent of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital where he founded the polio rehabilitation center, cleft lip and palate treatment center, burn treatment center, suicide prevention center, lifeline and maxillofacial center. Upon retirement in 1989, Dr. Sam used USD 100,000 of his own money to form the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation (NCF) and has since then expanded operations from Taiwan to Cambodia, China, Vietnam, Philippines and Mongolia…

Miles for Smiles: Run for Cleft Care

For some people, it takes time, sweat, the occasional tears and total commitment to yield one beautiful smile. The team of doctors and surgeons that make up the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation Philippines, Inc. (NCFPI) do just that on a weekly basis as one in every 500 Filipinos are born with cleft.

NCFPI is a non-profit organization inspired by the “love makes whole“ ideals of Dr. M. Samuel Noordhoff, a renowned American surgeon and philanthropist. Initially established in Taiwan and the US, the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation aims to establish comprehensive cleft care centers sustained by support from local bodies.

Main Sponsor/Beneficiaries: Noordhoff Cranofacial Foundations Philippines, Inc. (NCFPI).

Race/Event Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010
Location: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Race Types:
Individual Category: 400M, 3K, 5K, 10K and 16K
Group Category (10 members): 10K and 16K

Registration Fees:
Individual:
- 400M (P250)
- 3K/5K (P450)
- 10K/16K (P650)

Group (10 members):
- 10K/16K (P15,000)

Registration Period
Online Registration June 15 – August 10
Offline Registration July 15 – August 15

Registration Venues:
ROX / Chris Sports

For more details, call and (02)468-6449 or 0917-9908717
Or email ncfp.inc@gmail.com.