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Mater doctors give five-year-old Filipino boy a reason to smile
new face for young James
www.catholicleader.com.au
The Catholic Leader, August 27, 2017
News 7
Good cause: A group of students from St Laurence’s College at the halfway point of
the Walkathon, which supported five Brisbane charities.
Photos: Emilie Ng
St Laurence’s raises $50,000 with Walkathon
SWELTERING heat was no match for the energetic spirit of more than 1800 Catholic schoolboys who walked through the streets of Brisbane to raise $50,000 for charity.
Students and staff from St Laurence’s Col- lege hit the road for a 15km walk to help ve Brisbane charities.
It was the 48th time the college community has held the annual Walkathon, which started at the college grounds and continued through West End, over the Story Bridge, through the City Botanic Gardens, across the Goodwill Brisbane
into South Bank and back to the school for the nish line.
Walkers had more than two months to raise money for Act for Kids, Mary MacKillop Bris- bane Catholic School Access Fund, Timor Leste Project, People Power Services and Micah Projects.
College principal Chris Leadbetter said the St Laurence’s community was always looking for ways to support people and communities who were marginalised.
“This walkathon is one of the major ways
that we do this,” Mr Leadbetter said.
“The funds raised will support community
organisations that assist some of the most vul- nerable in our community.
“This event is a great Laurie’s tradition.”
Teacher Roxanne Rosenberg started working at the school 14 years ago, and has seen thou- sands of boys participate in the Walkathon.
Ms Rosenberg said the students’ commitment was an inspiration to the teachers.
“Each year I am impressed by the boys’ energy, generosity and determination to commit
to the wonderful service program that the SLC community offers,” she said.
“The sea of black-and-gold as we walk the 15km Walkathon to support various charities such as Act for Kids and the Timor Leste Project is just another example of why I love teaching at this school and being part of the wonderful com- munity that is St Laurence’s College.”
– Emilie Ng
By Emilie Ng
DOCTORS at the Mater Hospital have given a ve-year-old Filipino boy born with complex facial clefts life-changing surgery for free.
James Narte Estrera, from the Camotes Island in the Philippines, was born with clefts in the bones of his face, affecting his eyes, teeth and facial features.
He was often bullied for his facial deformities, which were considered too dif cult to treat in the Philippines.
But a medical charity based at the Mater Hospital offered the boy a chance to be “another face in the crowd” with free life- changing surgery in Brisbane last month.
Mater director of surgical services Dr Richard Lewandowski and anaesthetist Dr Jason Schoutrop donated their time with young James, who ew into Australia several months ago for his surgery.
Dr Lewandowski repaired James’ eyes using local tissue and repaired bone de ciencies in his face with bone from his hip.
The Mater waived all costs associated with the charity case, and hospital employees Jackie and Gary Arnold offered accom- modation for James and his mum Wendy.
James’ case is among 40 to 50 major cases Dr Lewandowski has treated for free. The surgeon co-founded the medical charity Operation Smile Australia with his wife Dr Sue Lewandowski.
Operation Smile offers free facial reconstructive surgery for children and young adults and in Australia operates out of the Brisbane Mater Hospital.
Dr Lewandowski brought the not-for-pro t organisation to Australia in 1995 after being involved with the charity in the United States 25 years ago.
He volunteered on medical missions to China, Colombia, Gaza, Kenya, the Philippines and Russia, and was involved in the medical training sessions and in the training of Operation Smile International Fellows.
Dr Lewandowski said James’ case was more unusual than most.
“It’s a complex facial cleft which, instead of just affecting the
lip, goes right up to his eyes making it more dif cult to treat in his home country,” he said. “Essentially, he has little structure underneath his skin and he still has issues with his eyes which will ultimately give him grief over time.
“These are all things we repair surgically regularly in Aus- tralia but may not get repaired regularly in the Philippines.” Dr Lewandowski said James’ surgery has freed him from
infection in his eyes and teeth but, more importantly, offered him a chance to live a normal life.
“If this takes the stigma from the cleft and gives him the oppor-
Generous gift: James Narte Estrera, of the Philip- pines, with his Mum Wendy, underwent life-chang- ing surgery with Mater Hospital recon- structive surgeon Dr Richard Le- wandowski to repair clefts in
the bones of his
face. The surgery costs were waived by the Mater Hospital.
Photo: Mater Hospital
tunity to be just another face in the crowd then we see surgery as a success,” he said.
Dr Lewandowski said everyone involved in James’ surgery upheld the same vision of providing care to children “who have been af icted with either birth deformity or trauma”.
James returned to the Philippines with his new face earlier this month.
His mother Wendy hoped the surgery would give her son a con dence boost and thanked the doctors for giving her son the quality of care he would otherwise not have back home.