Doe Run Peru Sponsors Free Plastic Surgery for Children in La Oroya

Rotary International "Smile in the Andes" campaign helps hundreds with cleft lips or cleft palates.

The company will pick up all of the expenses from transporting the child, the operation and the recovery period, as well as expenses for the family member that accompanies the minor.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) March 8, 2005 — Doe Run Peru, a subsidiary of The Doe Run Company, announced it will sponsor a second "Smile in the Andes" campaign in La Oroya in 2005, enhancing life for hundreds of Peruvian children.

The four-month project will bring experienced plastic surgeons to La Oroya, home of Doe Run Perus metallurgical complex, to perform free surgeries for children aged three months to 18, with cleft lips or palates and some other facial, ear or hand deformities. Orchestrated through personal visits by Doe Run personnel to communities in the Peruvian highland regions of Junin, Huancavelica, Pasco, Ayacucho and Huanuco, preliminary evaluations will occur in late March. Final evaluations will be held on June 24 with procedures scheduled over six days, June 25 to July 1.

"The operations are entirely free," stated Doe Run Peru spokesperson Rosa Benel Calderon. "The company will pick up all of the expenses from transporting the child, the operation and the recovery period, as well as expenses for the family member that accompanies the minor."

In addition to medical expenses, Doe Run Peru will provide logistical support for the program including the use of the facilities and participation of doctors employed at its hospital facility in Chulec, outside of La Oroya. Operations will be performed by a team of 30 plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, dentists and nurses from Rotaplast International, a community service organization established by participating Rotary Clubs. Rotoplast International has performed similar work across South America and around the world for almost 15 years.

According to Daniel Bronson, Rotaplast Internationals Mission Director for this team and special ambassador for Peru, "The kindness and generosity of the Doe Run Peru employees and management will change the lives of these children and their families forever. New smiles will be created, and with those will come self-images and new opportunities in life. We know that our team of doctors and Rotarian volunteers from four countries and eight American states will help Doe Run Peru and the La Oroya Rotary Club to heal the lives of these children. However, we will also team together in searching for the cause and prevention of these deformities through the investigative work of our researchers."

A similar program was held successfully in La Oroya during 2000 with 100 children from various regions of Peru being treated. Other Rotaplast teams have served in Lima, Tacna and Huaraz between 2001 and 2004. Doctors providing services for the 2005 project will perform an average of 15 surgeries per day for an anticipated total of 140 to 160 surgical procedures on nearly 100 patients.

The Doe Run Company, along with its subsidiaries, is a privately held natural resource company focused on environmentally sound mineral production, recycling and metals fabrication. Based in St. Louis, the company and its subsidiaries serve as North Americas largest integrated lead producer and third-largest total lead producer worldwide, employing more than 4,000 people. The company and its employees are committed to keeping its operations and communities clean and safe while producing essential raw materials – lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver – that are needed for everyday life. Doe Run and its subsidiaries have U.S. operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona, and South American operations in Peru. For more information, visit http://www.doerun.com.

Contact:
Kristin Saunders
314-469-3500
http://www.doerun.com

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rotary international cleft lip cleft palate la oroya mining doe run medical help plastic surgery children's health facial deformities hand deformities

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