Landmark Summer 2020

5 H idden H ero been populated and the team is ready to roll on Monday. Mean- while, the operating staff and scrub techs are unpacking supplies, stocking shelves, and getting three to four operating rooms ready. They are long and tiring weeks, but the reactions of the families alone, are worth it. “They’re so appreciative,” said Dr. Quatela. “The day we leave many give speeches and small gifts. It’s a pretty impactful and emotional time for families who wouldn’t be able to have this otherwise.” It’s not uncommon for past patients to come back and update Dr. Quatela on how they’re doing. “Two of my former HUGS patients are going to med school because of their experience with us,” said Dr. Quatela. “In fact, they come see us every year we go and they help out. They’re inspiring for the other kids. It’s important for our current patients to see someone who has been in their position and is now so involved.” The reach and impact Dr. Quatela and the HUGS foundation have had around the world is truly beyond measure and while he will continue with the work as long as there are children born with facial deformities, he knows he and the foundation can’t do it alone. “I look at it as a global problem that there’s a solution to,” said Dr. Quatela, who has crunched the numbers. “With ear reconstructions, there are about 20,000 new cases a year. There are 39,000 plastic surgeons on the planet and if just 5% of them offered one week a year, we could actually do every case there is to do.” Of course, there are other considerations when trying to solve world problems such as congenital facial deformities, but Dr. Quatela be- lieves it can be done with his four-prong comprehensive approach. First, he understands that there will always be countries where foundations like HUGS are necessary – particularly in those countries where there remains a lot of government corruption. In other coun- tries though, where the infrastructure already exists, education is key. Basically, if you can show them how to do it, they will get it done. Collaboration is the third prong in his comprehensive approach. Dr. Quatela believes that the resources to solve this problem are already available, there just needs to be a way to pool them. Lastly, it’s going to take research. “There’s no reason that kids need to be born with these deformities. That’s my dream, in a nutshell. I call it my moon shot. It’s a really far reach, but if we keep driving these four things, it is reachable, hope- fully in my lifetime.” Until then, his hope for the HUGS Foundation is to get up to 50 trips a year that he’s either directly involved in or helps to set up and funds. “I am truly blessed with the people I’ve been able to recruit and have taken an interest in the HUGS mission. I’m convinced that because we’ve been able to successfully fundraise and also been able to get the right people on board, this will go beyond me and continue.” Dr. Quatela high fives one of his young patients. Photo courtesy of the HUGS Foundation.