Smile House Fondazione ETS honoured with the Tao Awards 2023 for medicine and social commitment. The award is received by Francesco Bellìa, President of the Foundation’s Scientific Committee

“I am deeply moved to receive such a prestigious award this evening, especially in my homeland. An award that in fact recognises the daily social commitment of Smile House throughout the country.nnThis recognition is given to me in my capacity as a doctor; my work as a paediatrician is indeed carried out at the paediatric oncology and haematology unit of the Policlinico di Catania, where a smile is certainly an integral part of a doctor’s work. In this case, however, Smile House Fondazione ETS truly draws upon children’s faces the smile they would otherwise be unable to have, and this represents a boundless emotion.nnAs President of the Foundation’s Scientific Committee, I wish to emphasise that I am supported by a team of wonderful colleagues who, every day, place their great expertise and professionalism at the service of Smile House ETS.nnOur commitment, in fact, does not stop at the surgical procedure of the clinical weekend, but extends to research and to the development of advanced training programmes for the professionals involved in treating craniofacial malformations and, finally, to the patient’s social integration.nnResearch and development are, in fact, two strategic assets of the Foundation.”nnThese were the words of Francesco Bellìa, President of the Scientific Committee of Smile House Fondazione ETS, during last night’s award ceremony at the Teatro Antico di Taormina, who added:nn“Let me say that this award does not belong to me alone: I therefore wish to share it with all the volunteers, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers who, like me, with dedication and professionalism bring the clinical weekends of Smile House in Rome to life every month, creating a virtuous circle that already represents the model of reference for export abroad to low-income countries.nnVolunteers represent the strength hidden behind the tip of the iceberg of every organisation, a silent, professional commitment that is the lifeblood feeding the success and inspiration of every action, the indispensable piece that forms the puzzle known as teamwork.nnThrough my volunteering work with Smile House Fondazione ETS I have found that, in the end, you receive far more than you give, in terms of personal fulfilment and individual growth.nnThis experience allows you to develop a greater awareness of yourself, of your own abilities and your own values.”nnSo said Domenico Scopelliti, Vice President of Smile House Fondazione ETS, on the sidelines of the TAOMODA Awards Gala evening:nn“This evening’s award to Francesco Bellìa takes on an even more significant meaning, as we have recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Policlinico di Catania providing for the opening of a new operational centre, thus contributing to the expansion of the Smile House network: after Rome, Vicenza, Ancona, Cagliari and Taranto, now Catania too.nnThis agreement is an important signal against the healthcare migration into which patients with facial malformations and their families have been forced until now in order to receive the care they need.”