Helen Keller, once said: “Alone we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”

Those words rang true as the Loloma Foundation officially wrapped up their 2019 Navutu Stars medical and dental mission as a success.

Loloma Foundation is a California-based non-profit organisation, whose mission is to support the medical and dental systems in the South Pacific (Fiji and Solomon Islands).

Project coordinator Linda Kwasny said, “We are again grateful to the owners of Navutu Stars Resort for supporting the project for the past 14 years.”

Among several patients was 31-year-old Adi Canoa, whose dignity has been restored.

According to Kwasny, Adi has lived with an unrepaired cleft all her life.

“Due to the hole in the roof of her mouth, consuming food has been difficult and has made her extremely thin. Her impaired speech has created a stigma, making it very difficult to inter- act.

The solution to Adi’s problem was to build a pros- thesis called an obturator which effectively plugs the open hole in the roof of her mouth,” she added.

Meanwhile, the team has moved on to assist Fijians in Taveuni.

The team of 18 included Dr Jay Sison, Dr.Bob Duell, Rich Kwasny and ground coordinator Bryanne Sykes, Christina Chan and Denny Chao from UCLA Dental School, led by Jim Kelly head of Creighton Prosthodontics.

Edited by Susana Tuilau

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