It all started when plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Morin and his business representative Susan Kim were at a lunch and discussing charity work. Kim said that she would give anything to travel the world helping children. Morin had already traveled to Guatemala and Haiti to perform surgeries on children with face abnormalities and injuries.
“These other non-profits really do wonderful things with these children but they don’t get high quality surgeries like they would if they were in the U.S.,” Kim said.
Developing Faces’, their brand new charity’s, intent is to travel to developing countries once a year to perform life-changing, high quality craniofacial surgeries on young children that they would receive had they been patients in the U.S. They will be co-sponsoring Social Life Magazine’s 10th year anniversary fete on Saturday, August 10, in hope of garnering some attention to their new charity in a lush locale. Morin, Kim and spokeswoman Natasha Roberts will be hosting an after party at South Pointe Nightclub.
The charity just received their 5013c status and is planning their first trip to Colombia in winter 2014. They are considering a trip to Guyana in winter 2015. At this point, they are working the relationships they have in other countries in South America before they expand to other developing areas.
Kim has been involved in children’s charities after having been hit by a car at 4-years-old and fully recuperating from the accident.
To bring in more money to help kids with face abnormalities, Kim is reaching out to her international database, having accrued government officials in her business networking.
“He’s been on six missions so he’s familiar with how the process works,” Kim said. “I’m raising the money and using my relationships to really market this organization. It’s like the perfect marriage.”
They will also be hosting fundraisers on September 11 with a documentary called “Rise of the Freedom Tower: America’s Unsung Heroes” and during New York Fashion Week where Corey Lane from the Board of Directors is re-opening his night club.
“I love reconstructing kid’s faces, especially seeing the look on a mother’s face the first time she sees her baby after his or her cleft lip is repaired,” Morin said. “It’s the best part of being a plastic surgeon.”
For more information about Developing Faces, visit them online at www.developingfaces.org.