“You give them hope,” Marijose said, who works in the cardiovascular operating room at Baptist Medical Center in downtown Jacksonville. “You take away the bullies around them because you make them feel normal.
Rodney and Marijose Kapunan are not only husband and wife.They are volunteers with Operation Smile as they perform free surgeries for people born with a cleft lip or cleft palate.
They started doing the surgical programs with Operation Smile back in 2014 when Rodney went to the Philippines. That is where they were born.“She did suffer from a cleft condition, which is very complicated because it required three or four surgeries,” Rodney said, who works at HCA Florida Atlantic Emergency. “The result was really excellent.”
“When he came back, he was a changed person,” Marijose said about her husband. “I saw that and got encouraged.” Together, this couple has done dozens of surgeries around the world, including Egypt, China, India, Guatemala, Bolivia and Mexico. “Every three minutes, one person is going to be born with a cleft condition,” Rodney said. “There is a big need for the surgery.”They help improve appearances, speech and nutrition while reducing the chances of patients being infected with a disease.“It was really a desperation for me to be able to join and give back to the organization,” Rodney said.The Kapunans do not plan to slow down any time soon.He is heading to do another one in Peru in June.
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