Operation Smile Trains Hundreds of Students in Hands-Only CPR

Outside of his responsibilities as manager of SP Investment Fund LLC in Los Angeles, Gil Seton provides support to a wide range of community organizations. One of the organizations that Gil Seton donates to is Operation Smile, which launches medical missions around the world to treat clef palate, cleft lip, and other facial deformities.

Recently, Operation Smile held its 26th International Student Leadership Conference, which took place in Rome, Italy. The event allowed hundreds of college and high school students from five continents to learn the hands-only technique of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). 

CPR is a critical skill for people to learn in all parts of the world. The American Heart Association estimates that about 90 percent of people who face cardiac arrest outside of a health care setting die, but quality CPR can double or even triple the chances of survival.

Once trained, Student Leadership Conference participants can take part in an Operation Smile medical mission and teach the skills to patients and families. In addition to CPR, these students have the opportunity to teach about nutrition, dental hygiene, and basic first aid while on their medical missions.

Problems Caused by a Cleft Palate

A graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Gil Seton is an experienced real estate developer and investor. Currently, he applies his expertise as the manager of SP Investment Fund LLC and the president of Showplace Development, Inc., both based in Los Angeles. Outside of work, Gil Seton supports charitable organizations such as Operation Smile.

Headquartered in Virginia, Operation Smile is a charity that provides free surgeries in developing countries to individuals with facial deformities. The organization, founded in 1982, has helped thousands of people in over 60 countries. The most common facial deformities addressed by Operation Smile are cleft lips and cleft palates.

A cleft palate is a birth defect that causes a deformity on the roof of the mouth or upper lip. In addition to affecting a person’s appearance, a cleft palate can cause other issues, such as irregularly aligned teeth and nose shape, eating problems (which can lead to low weight gain and slow development), ear infections, and speech and language difficulties.