Trading scars for smiles
POSTED: June 7, 2007
By Staci Dennis
Janey gave up plastic surgery to help sponsor 12 cleft lip surgeries.
"I just wanted to know I was doing the right thing," Janey said about having plastic surgery. "But I felt unsure."
|
CHESTERFIELD, Va. - For more than a decade Janey dreamed about repairing the scars on her face.
"I wanted to do something to fix the way I looked," said Janey, who had bouts of cystic acne that left scars on her face. "But it never seemed to be the right time."
When her husband, Dave, received an unexpected bonus from work last summer and she learned techniques for facial plastic surgery had improved, Janey decided to go ahead with the operation.
The price tag: $5,000.
Spending that amount of money on herself was a hard decision to make, she said. The 41-year-old was used to giving to others. She and her husband have adopted two children and are in the process of filing papers for their third son, a 15-year-old Liberian refugee.
"I just wanted to know I was doing the right thing," she said. "But I felt unsure."
"I knew I could spend that money on my family," she added, "so I asked God to clearly show me if I should go through with the surgery or not."
Janey sat in the doctor's office minutes away from surgery when she found out she had taken some medication that would interfere with the procedure. The operation had to be postponed.
"This was my answer to prayer," she said, "I realized there were better places I could spend that money."
Janey found out about Operation Blessing's cleft lip and palate program, and after reading about the surgeries being performed across the globe, decided to give the $5,000 to cover the cost of 12 operations.
"It's the desire of my heart to help children who need it," she said. "What better way than to give them a new smile."
How You Can Help
Take part in bringing life-changing surgery to those in need by giving toward OBI's Cleft Lip and Palate program. A gift of just $34 a month for 12 months - or a special gift of $400 - will sponsor a corrective surgery for a child who otherwise would not be able to afford such medical care. Please make an online donation today. |
]