Dr. Seun Adetayo, renowned plastic surgeon, author, and inspiring speaker, acknowledges the generosity being displayed by more people during COVID-19 to help children in need as revealed by a recent Smile Train survey.

OMAHA, NE – March 28, 2021 – Dr. Seun Adetayo, renowned plastic surgeon, author, and inspiring speaker, has posted a new article on her website entitled, “On The Bright Side: How COVID-19 Has Elicited More Charitable Giving To Help Children.” Dr. Adetayo shares the results of a recent Smile Train survey along with some factors that may contribute to having a baby with an orofacial cleft. 

Dr. Adetayo states, “It was very inspiring when I read the recent survey result by The Smile Train revealing that since COVID-19, most Americans gave to charitable organizations with the main intent to help children.” She continues, “The Smile Train is one of the few mission-based organizations with which I am actively involved due to their sustainable model of supporting locally-based surgeries around the world. Although the pandemic resulted in Smile Train putting 39,000 lifesaving surgeries on hold, they are well on their way to catching up and closing this deficit. She emphasizes, “Children are the primary focus of The Smile Train because every 3 minutes a child is born with a cleft. And that doesn’t stop even during a pandemic.” She adds, “Since April of last year, they have supported more than 30,000 cleft surgeries in over 55 countries.” https://www.smiletrain.org/news/most-americans-gave-charity-during-covid-19-pandemic-main-cause-helping-children-smile-train).  Dr. Adetayo acknowledges that, “Many organizations have also worked during the period of COVID to provide needed care to children, and it is great to see support from the public for these missions.”

“It is, and always has been my passion and priority in my surgical practice,” Dr. Adetayo writes, “to collaborate on meaningful initiatives with organizations that focus on improving surgical outcomes, healthcare delivery, patient safety, and quality control standards in surgical reconstruction.” She goes on to say that “Children deserve the best quality medical and surgical care we can provide, and it is a privilege to work alongside local and international teams to do so.” Dr. Adetayo elaborates further, “Smile Train is the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, with a sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential care. Over the last 20+ years, this organization has supported safe and quality cleft care for 1.5+ million children. Their mission is to continue to do so until every child with a cleft has access to the care they deserve. What a wonderful mission!”

The entire article can be read at: http://seunadetayo.com/2021/04/22/on-the-bright-side-how-covid-19-has-elicited-more-charitable-giving-to-help-children/

About Dr. Adetayo

Dr. Seun Adetayo currently practices in Omaha, Nebraska. She is a board-certified Plastic Surgeon and a Diplomat of the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  She is a Professor of Surgery, and Chief of Pediatric Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Adetayo is unique in her field. As a gifted surgeon operating in a competitive field, Dr. Adetayo is also the first foreign-born (Nigerian) female minority surgeon to have built a successful nationally accredited multidisciplinary program for children with birth defects in Northeastern New York. She continued in this trajectory of helping patients and families as she now heads the Division of Pediatric Plastic Surgery where she serves as the Chief at the Children’s Hospital.  Her journey has been dedicated to caring for patients and their families; mentorship for students, residents, and faculty; advocacy for legislation at local and national level; research; education; and community engagement and leadership. She shares her journey and strategies for success via her print material, meeting panels, blogs, and speaking engagements.

Dr Adetayo has authored several book chapters in leading texts, including the second edition of Comprehensive Cleft Care which is an authoritative text volume on cleft and craniofacial disorders and treatment.  She also authored a chapter in the Family Companion Guide for educating patients and families with cleft and craniofacial diagnoses. She was also the author of the chapter on treatment of zygoma fractures in the text Operative Techniques in Plastic Surgery.

She has received over 40 awards and recognition, and her work has resulted in over 50 published works and over 60 presented works at regional, national, and international meetings. She is published in peer-reviewed publications in leading journals including Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal, Annals of Plastic Surgery, Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, and Journal of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics.

Dr Adetayo plays an important role in mentoring and education in surgery, healthcare, and professional circles. She served as an invited surgeon and surgical educator during her last mission trip to Zimbabwe, where she served as the lead surgeon and guest lecturer for various hands-on plastic surgical reconstructions and teaching sessions. She is active in Women In Leadership lectures and advocacy. She served as a speaker for the Synthes collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Company on Improving Cultural Competence and Ethnic Diversity in Healthcare, and was one of four selected panelist speakers on Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery International Program by L’Oreal in conjunction with Resurge International. She was an invited speaker at the 2019 Healthcare Finance Management Association (HFMA) annual Women In Leadership Conference in upstate New York. In 2020, she served as the Keynote Speaker for the Stryker Women’s Network National Conference National Women in Surgery and Leadership event in California.

Dr. Adetayo has served in various community leadership positions including Chairperson of the Long Beach Rescue Mission, Co-President of the Phi Delta Epsilon Premedical Society, Co-President of the Pritzker REMEDY Cuba Medical Aid Mission, Coordinator of the Chicago Local Chapter of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) program for inner city Chicago school kids. She currently serves as Managing Editor and Co-Chair of the Learning Resource Committee of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA).

She has been involved in various medical education and surgical trips to several countries including Cuba, Haiti, Nigeria, Peru, and Zimbabwe as educator and surgeon.  She was awarded a Diploma of Honor conferred by the President of the Congress of the Republic of Peru.  She collaborates on meaningful initiatives with various international organizations including Rotary International and The Smile Train on improving surgical outcomes, healthcare delivery, patient safety, and quality control standards in surgical reconstruction. She continues to be active in  advocacy and philanthropic efforts in developing children and advancing communities.

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