Our Missions
May 2023 – First Mission
- Location: Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
- Services: Excision and reconstruction of facial tumors, pathology, ankylosis and trauma
- Supplies delivered: Over $500,000 worth of donated equipment
- Impact: 25 patients treated, 30+ local professionals trained, and numerous lives changed
May 2024 – Second Mission
- Location: Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
- Services: Excision and reconstruction of facial tumors, pathology, ankylosis and trauma
- Supplies delivered: Over $500,000 worth of donated equipment
- Impact: Over 30 patients treated, 30+ local professionals trained, and numerous lives changed
Explore The Missions To Malawi
In May 2023, the Smiling Surgeons team embarked on its first life-changing mission to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. Led by Dr. Tania Nkungula and Dr. Shelby Curtis, the team collaborated with local oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. James Mchenga to perform complex surgical procedures, including excision and reconstruction of facial tumors, trauma repair, and ankylosis treatment. Supported by over $500,000 worth of donated medical equipment, the mission successfully treated 25 patients and provided hands-on training to more than 30 Malawian healthcare professionals, leaving a lasting impact on local surgical care.
Building on that success, a second mission in May 2024 returned to the same hospital, expanding both the scope of treatment and professional development. Over 30 patients received advanced reconstructive care, and dozens of clinicians participated in specialized workshops and mentorship sessions. These missions laid the foundation for Smiling Surgeons’ long-term goal — establishing a sustainable model for global surgical outreach through education, compassion, and collaboration. Each trip continues to honor a legacy of healing, service, and shared humanity in the heart of Malawi.
Support Our 3rd Mission To Malawi
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and fund our 3rd Mission To Malawi
Changed Lives
Story 1: Thokozani
For Thokozani, a bright and beautiful 7-year-old girl, something as simple as opening her mouth had been a daily struggle for most of her life. Since the age of three, she could open her mouth less than one centimeter—making normal eating painful, difficult, and often impossible.
Thokozani was living with TMJ ankylosis, a condition in which the jaw joint becomes fused, most often after infection or trauma. Left untreated, it doesn’t just limit eating and speaking—it permanently alters a child’s facial growth and development.
Because of Smiling Surgeons, Thokozani received life-changing surgery to release the fused bones in her jaw, followed by essential physical therapy to restore movement. Catching and treating this condition early gives her something priceless: the chance to grow, eat, speak, and smile like any other child.
Children like Thokozani don’t just need surgery—they need champions. Your support helps Smiling Surgeons bring skilled volunteers, critical equipment, and hope to children whose futures depend on timely care. A donation today can open a child’s world tomorrow.
Story 2: D. Bagire
Smiling Surgeons exists to give skilled volunteers a platform to change lives—and David’s story is one of them.
First diagnosed with ameloblastoma and treated at age 21, he faced a rare condition that is benign but relentlessly disfiguring. After years of remission, the disease returned, leaving him unable to work, eat comfortably, or engage socially. By the time we met him in 2024, his life had been placed on hold by a condition that required complex surgical care.
Through Smiling Surgeons, volunteer expertise and donated resources made life-restoring care possible close to home. The operation to remove the recurrent tumor and reconstruct his face was led by Dr. Mchenga, with Smiling Surgeons Volunteers—Dr. Miller and her chief resident, Dr. Ali—serving as the primary surgeons. Donated instruments and reconstruction plates enabled this advanced surgery to be performed locally.
Today, after months of healing, he can smile again—returning to his family, his work, and a future restored through compassion, skill, and service.