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National: Celebrating the 20th anniversary of her Miss World Title on the eve of her father’s 76th birthday (which is on 20th November 2014), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gifted 100 surgeries

to children suffering from cleft through her foundation. Smile Train and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Foundation will work closely to ensure a 100 more smiles through these surgeries. The other reason of celebrating this day include the 3rd Birthday of her angel Aaradhya.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been associated with Smile Train for the previous four years and has made a touching video of the impact a cleft has on a child’s life. She was also present at a reception hosted by Samantha Cameron at 10 Downing Street, London in June to mark the completion of one million surgeries by Smile Train globally.

At an event organized by Smile Train at the Godrej Memorial Hospital, Aishwarya dazzled all present with her beautiful smile as she took a tour of the facility, interacted with surgeons, staff, cleft children and their families. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also met with children in the Out Patient Department and interacted with doctors who invest their time to bring a smile on these children’s faces. She also spent close to an hour at the Smile Train post-operative ward interacting with children, sharing nursery rhymes and stories.

Speaking on this occasion, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said, “A SMILE is incomplete without a heart that is warmed by it….find that SMILE…..within YOU and spread it, beyond YOU….it’s the most SPECIAL experience in life”.

Also present at the event was Mamtaa Carrol, Smile Train’s Regional Director for South Asia, she said, “Every year 35,000 children in India are born with clefts and live in isolation and suffering. A simple corrective surgery can change their lives and Smile Train’s endeavor is to provide cleft surgeries across India until we have completely eradicated the problem of clefts. As an organization, we rely on the generosity of others to achieve our mission and appreciate Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Foundation’s support to make 100 more such smiles possible.” She also added “Aishwarya’s universal appeal and star power is a priceless asset to our organization, and we consider it a great privilege to have her represent our organization.  We look forward to working with her across the globe.”

Godrej Memorial Hospital has been a treatment partner center of Smile Train for the last eight years and has provided smiles to hundreds of cleft children. Dr. Ravin Thatte, renowned plastic surgeon and Project Director for Smile Train at the hospital was present at the event with Smile Train surgeons Dr. Nitin Mokal and Dr. Bharti Khandekar.