Smile Train — Helping Children with Cleft Lip and Palate

A graduate of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology with a master of science in engineering, Fritz Gautschi retired after serving as president and chief executive officer of a US-based joint venture between ABB and ALSTOM. In this role, he led a company with $3.5 billion in yearly revenues. Since retiring, Fritz Gautschi has been active in charitable giving to several organizations, including Smile Train.

An international nonprofit, Smile Train aims to assist millions of children around the world who suffer from cleft lip and palate. This problem causes many children to have difficulty eating, breathing, and speaking. The condition requires a relatively simple cleft repair surgery, but many doctors around the world require training in this area. Smile Train trains doctors in more than 85 countries to perform this vital surgery in order to transform the lives of children around the world.

In addition to training surgeons to perform cleft repair surgery, Smile Train helps facilitate follow-up care, including speech therapy to address such speech problems as language delay and hypernasality. The organization also provides much-needed dental and orthodontic treatment following surgery.

To learn more about Smile Train’s services, visit www.smiletrain.org.