Miss Egypt 2019 Visits Smile Train Partner Hospital in Alexandria

Earlier this year, Miss Egypt 2019 Diana Hamid visited Mabaret Al-Asafra West Hospital, a Smile Train partner in Alexandria.

Diana was warmly received by Omnia Tawfeek, Smile Train’s Program Manager in Egypt, along with Smile Train partner surgeon Dr. Ahmed Serag Habib and Prof. Khamis Mahmoud Abdou, the hospital’s vice medical director.

Omnia shared that Smile Train has sponsored more than 11,500 cleft surgeries in Egypt since establishing its first partnerships with local doctors and hospitals there in 2007, including 3,000+ at Mabaret Al-Asafra West Hospital alone since 2013.

In the cleft ward, Diana gave strength, comfort, and a few laughs to five children with clefts and their families ahead of their free Smile Train-sponsored surgeries.

After briefing her on the issues children with clefts confront, which include social isolation and bullying as well as difficulties breathing, eating, and hearing, Dr. Habib invited Diana to observe a six-year-old boy’s Smile Train-sponsored cleft lip surgery from just outside the surgical theatre.  

“Words can’t describe how special it is for these kids, who are so often victims of bullying, to know that they have a friend in Miss Egypt,” said Omnia. “We are so inspired by how Diana has shared her spotlight with Egyptians with clefts, and her advocacy is just one more reason why Smile Train so values our partnership with the Miss Universe Organization.”