I feel very privileged to be able to assist Transforming Faces’ valuable and life-saving work. I found TFW a few years ago when I was looking for an appropriate way to honour and thank my orthodontist, Dr. Morris H. Wechsler.
What kind of gift could I give him in thanks for allowing me to finally eat and look like a normal person? At this point in his life, he could already have anything he wanted. After researching several similar organizations, I chose TFW because you use your donated funds efficiently, thanks to the private charitable foundation that pays for your overhead.
I was impressed with the way you train local professionals to do the cleft palate surgery and to provide follow-up services for the patients. The treatments allow the children to live normal lives. It is heart-breaking to think of all those children who, by accident of birth, do not have access to medical treatments that we take for granted over here, or could have access if only the medical personnel knew that it was available to them. How little it takes to give such a child a normal life. They are able to eat, speak, play, get education and jobs, and to find loving relationships. I thought Dr. Wechsler would find your work dear to his heart, as do I. He was pleased and touched by my donation in his honour.
Many people find themselves wondering what kind of gift to give “someone who has everything” for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, and other special occasions. Instead of giving someone something that will just sit on a shelf, a donation to TFW is a gift that lives a lifetime. Both the honouree and the donor receive the satisfaction of knowing that this special occasion has given a child the opportunity to live a normal life. I find that very heart-warming.
-Submitted by Marilyn Berson Cohen, a TFW supporter, pictured