Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Legislator Rose Marie Walker honored Dr. Rachel Ruotolo of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, PCand members of Adelphi University’s Club Operation Smile at a ceremony earlier today that was attended by many parents and children who have been treated for a cleft lip and palate. Dr. Ruotolo, a pediatric plastic and cranio facial surgeon has helped hundreds pediatric patients with cleft lip and cleft palate birth defects from Long Island and over 51 countries around the world.
Sejal Jain, founder and president of the Adelphi chapter addressed the audience explaining that Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity with programs and foundations in more than 60 countries. Adelphi’s chapter has successfully been raising funds and awareness about this disability, and helping to provide operations to families in need. The organization is dedicated to providing free reconstructive surgery for children and young adults locally and around theworld who suffer from facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates.
County Executive Mangano remarked that the Adelphi Club Operation Smile “is the first program of its kind on Long Island and is set up to raise funds for operations for children here in our community.” Mangano pointed out that “there are several global organizations doing a fantastic job of treating these conditions. What many people don’t know is that cleft lip and cleft palate is just as prevalent in the United States, on Long Island and right here in Nassau County as it is in other countries. With approximately 1 in 700 infants born with cleft palate and, or cleft lip the work that Dr. Ruotolo and Adelphi’s Club Operation Smile is vitally important.”