Smile Success Story:
Saline Atieno
Saline grew up in the Nyanza Province of Kenya, the child of farmers who struggled daily against the constraints of extreme poverty. At just three years old, she contracted what her parents thought was an unknown disease. They sought help at local dispensaries and a district hospital, but the family lacked the financial means to pay for any real medical intervention.
Saline was suffering from Noma—a devastating bacterial infection that literally devours the soft tissue and bone structure of the face. Striking mostly children between the ages of two and six, Noma is widely known as the face of poverty because it thrives where there is malnutrition and unsanitary water. It carries a heartbreaking 90% fatality rate. While Saline survived, she was left with severe facial deformities that made eating difficult, left her prone to recurring infections, and ultimately forced her into painful social isolation.
Because her condition required highly complex, multi-stage reconstruction, Saline’s case fell completely outside the scope of traditional medical charities. Her parents traveled to a local hospital hoping a major international cleft-lip charity could cover her surgery, but her case was turned away for being too severe and resource-intensive.
This is exactly why Smile Rescue Fund for Kids exists. Where other organizations reached their limits, SRFK stepped in to find a way.
From Kenya to New York
After a regional medical director witnessed Saline's situation and contacted SRFK, the organization immediately sprung into action. SRFK navigated the immense logistical and financial hurdles required to bring Saline from rural Kenya to Long Island, New York.
She was placed in the care of the elite craniofacial team at Stony Brook Hospital, led by plastic surgeon Dr. Alexander Dagum—a vital medical partner of SRFK. Backed by a dedicated network of local volunteers and donors, Saline underwent the intense, highly specialized reconstructive plastic surgeries needed to rebuild her face and restore her health.
A Sustainable Future
Saline's transformation was the catalyst that shaped SRFK’s entire dual-focus approach. Seeing firsthand that her life-threatening infection was caused by contaminated water, the organization realized that repairing her smile wasn't enough—the underlying environment had to change too.
While Saline was recovering, SRFK expanded its mission to fund massive rainwater harvesting tanks in her home village to prevent other children from contracting Noma.
Today, Saline is back in Kenya and thriving. Thanks to an additional targeted donation, she now attends a safe boarding school where she is getting a quality education, making friends, and living a life defined by confidence rather than isolation.
For Smile Rescue Fund for Kids, Saline represents the very heart of our evolution. Her journey proved that true advocacy means healing the child today, while protecting their community for tomorrow.
Smile Success Story:
Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez
When Dunia Sibomana was just six years old, his life was shattered by a tragic chimpanzee attack near Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While Dunia survived, the attack claimed the lives of his brother and cousin, leaving Dunia with catastrophic, rare injuries. Most of his facial muscles were destroyed, his lips and right ear were gone, and he lost a finger on his left hand.
Because his injuries were so extensive, Dunia’s case fell completely outside the scope of traditional medical charities. His recovery wouldn't require a single operation—it would require a years-long, highly complex medical master plan.
This is exactly why Smile Rescue Fund for Kids exists. Where other organizations were forced to say a case was too complex, SRFK stepped in to find a way.
The Rescue: From the DRC to Stony Brook
SRFK handled the immense logistical and financial hurdles that stood between Dunia and a future. The team coordinated his medical visas, funded his travel from the Congo, and brought him to the United States to meet the elite craniofacial team at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, including plastic surgeon Dr. Alexander Dagum, a key medical partner of SRFK.
Over the next several years, Dunia underwent 14 grueling, ground-breaking reconstructive surgeries. To give him back his ability to speak, eat, and smile naturally, surgeons had to graft tissue and muscle from other parts of his body to meticulously recreate his lips. Throughout it all, SRFK and a dedicated community provided the wrap-around support Dunia needed to heal.
A Championship Smile
While Dunia’s medical transformation was a triumph of plastic surgery, what he did with his second chance is a testament to his unstoppable spirit.
While living in the US for his treatments, Dunia was taken in and eventually adopted by a loving host family: Long Beach wrestling coach Miguel Rodriguez and his wife, Marissa. Surrounded by a fierce support system, Dunia channelled his determination into wrestling.
He did not just adapt; he dominated. At just 14 years old, Dunia won the New York State Division 1 High School Wrestling Championship and has since received a scholarship to attend the University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill.
Where He Is Today
Dunia’s journey from a resource-poor village in the Congo to an elite athlete is the ultimate realization of the SRFK mission. The organization believes that every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential, and Dunia has done exactly that. He recently made headlines by committing to wrestle at the University of North Carolina, securing a bright, independent future at his dream college.
Dunia credits his family and coaches for helping him reach this blessing in his life, recognizing that he would not be where he is today without their support.
At Smile Rescue Fund for Kids, there is immense pride in having been the bridge that connected Dunia to the world-class medical care he deserved. Dunia’s story is a powerful reminder that when a smile is rescued, a face is not just changed—a destiny is unlocked.