Professor Daack-Hirsch interacts with mothers in the Philippines, Photo submitted
When Sandra Daack-Hirsch hopped on a west-bound plane in 1994, she didn’t know what to expect. When she landed in the Philippines, she found a group of islands filled with families who needed medical help and expertise.
And she gave it to them.
She discovered a family in which five of the seven children suffered from cleft lip/palate — a condition in which a gap forms in either the upper lip or the roof of the mouth. The University of Iowa assistant professor of nursing cared for three of them. She developed a bond with the mother, who helped her find others in the village who needed surgery for the condition. After returning home, Daack-Hirsch received several letters from the woman in her native language.
“The first time it was really exciting for me to be able to go someplace and not be someone’s mom, someone’s wife and really just be me and do what I do,” said Daack-Hirsch, looking at her husband.
She has been to the Philippines 14 times to help people suffering from cleft. She conducted research and volunteered with an Iowa-based team working with Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization that provides surgeries and help for thousands of individuals, mainly children, who are born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. Surgery allows patients to eat and speak normally, but it’s difficult to find in less-developed countries. Continue reading
