Fresh Start Surgical Gifts

Our Mission

Fresh Start Surgical Gifts transforms the lives of disadvantaged infants, children, and teens with physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse, or disease through the gift of reconstructive surgery and related healthcare services.

Our Vision

Fresh Start's vision is to build a community of volunteers committed to seeing that every child with a physical deformity is given the opportunity to have a positive self-image, thereby enriching the lives of both the receiver and giver.

What We Do

Fresh Start is one of the most devoted organizations that help children. We host six to seven Surgery Weekends each year where volunteer medical professionals transform the lives of children with deformities through reconstructive surgery. Dental Clinics serve children requiring more complex dental procedures outside the scope of a Surgery Weekend. Dental Clinics are held 13 times per year and serve 15-30 children at each Clinic with services ranging from restorative and orthodontic work done for children with cleft lip or palate to fillings and more basic care. Fresh Start’s one-of-a-kind comprehensive approach to medical treatments also includes Laser Clinics and a Speech Therapy Clinic – all of our complementary medical treatments are provided to patients during the interim between Surgery Weekends or on the Sunday of a Surgery Weekend. Our Laser Clinics treat patients afflicted with deformities such as port wine stain and burns and also reduces the appearance of scars created by reconstructive surgery. Many of the children we serve with craniofacial disorders, such as cleft lip and palate, require speech therapy in order to regain their ability to speak audibly and correctly. Fresh Start patients often require extensive follow up and years of surgeries and medical services until the best medical outcome has been reached. Fresh Start maintains long-term medical relationships with patients and follow-up surgeries – our average cleft lip and palate patient, for example, requires seven years of dental care and approximately 49 treatments until the best possible medical outcome has been reached.