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The India Project
 | A young patient
awaits Dr Dicksheet |
Immediately after completing his residency in 1963, Dr. Dicksheet knew he wanted to make a difference and use his talents to provide "A New Life" to the poor and indigent children of India with congenital and other facial deformities. In India, an infant born with a cleft lip or other facial deformities is considered a curse, to both herself/himself and to the entire family and circle of relatives and friends.
Dr. Dicksheet knew that each surgery would be a life changing event. Infants who are killed or abandoned by their parents, to avoid ostracism, or die, unable to suckle milk, would thrive. Families, outcast by the social stigma of deformity, would be restored. Young boys and girls, unmarriageable and unable to work or make a living, would have a future.
The Project Begins
In 1968, Dr. Dicksheet started his first free surgery camps to give dignity, function and opportunity to these otherwise condemned children of India with congenital facial and eye deformities. Each year Dr. Dicksheet spends five to six months in the poorest regions of India conducting free surgery camps. | | Surgery Camp |
Dr. Dicksheet has spent 33 years of his lifetime and millions of dollars of his own money to conduct the free surgery camps and give these children an opportunity to be fully integrated into the social fabric of a productive society.
To-date, 64000 surgeries have been performed. Each surgery also impacts an average of 10 family members and 90 relatives and friends. Through Dr. Dicksheet's human spirit and medical intervention, over 5.5 million people in India have been touched by his life changing surgeries.
| Period of Time | Surgeries Performed | Circle of Impact |
| 1968-1988 | 21,000 | 2.1 Million |
| 1989-1994 | 10,500 | 1 Million |
| 1994-2001 | 25,000 | 2.5 Million |
| Total | 56,500 | 5.6 Million |
Against All Odds
In the first year, Dr. Dicksheet was virtually unknown and very few parents had the courage to take action and bring their children for surgery and reverse their passivity toward fatalism. After the first few camps, word spread quickly and each year the number of parents bringing their children for surgery has grown. People began to recognize Dr. Dicksheet as an outstanding surgeon, with hands from God, who works his miracles through surgery. Today, large crowds queue up to be selected for surgery. Dr. Dicksheet is revered for his selfless service to the children of India with deformity.
 | | Patients queue in the registration line |
Dr. Dicksheet's vision, commitment, and contribution, despite all obstacles, sets him apart among men. During the early years of the camps, Dr. Dicksheet met with resistance from the local plastic surgeons. After many years of excellence in surgery and proving that his work serves as a successful agent for change in social inclusion, Dr. Dicksheet has achieved respect among his peers and the establishment.
Today, the State requires the government run hospitals to provide free of cost space to Dr. Dicksheet to conduct his free surgery camps. Dr. Dicksheet has a flawless record of accomplishing 64,000 surgeries without medical complications or loss of life.
Tradegy Strikes
In 1978, Dr. Dicksheet met with a serious car accident leaving the right side of his body paralyzed. He managed to recuperate within three years. While recuperating, Dr. Dicksheet continued to travel to India to conduct the free medical camps, and completed his fellowship in cosmetic surgery.
Tragedy struck Dr. Dicksheet again in 1982. Dr. Dicksheet was diagnosed with stage four larynx cancer and had to undergo four majDr operations followed by radiation therapy and given a life expectancy of two years. One of Dr. Dicksheet's greatest love was singing classical music. But, Dr. Dicksheet did not lose hope. He continued to travel to India to conduct the free medical camps, learned how to talk using oesophageal speech techniques, and studied further in the specialized field of Plastic Surgery.
In 1988, Dr. Dicksheet had his first heart attack followed by angioplasty. Again in 1994, Dr. Dicksheet suffered a severe second heart attack during one of his free camps and underwent triple bypass surgery. The surgery did not improve his cardiac performance. Dr. Dicksheet's heart functions at only 18% of its capacity. Despite his grave illness, Dr. Dicksheet continues to conduct the free camps from a wheel chair. However, in the operation theatre, Dr. Dicksheet is an incredibly talented surgeon with hands that still perform at lightning speed. It is inspirational to watch.
Others join Dr Dicksheet
 | | Dr Dicksheet with volunteer staff |
Dr. Dicksheet has been training surgeons to continue his work after his death. In 1989, Dr. Dicksheet recruited 3 resident plastic surgeons from the United States to volunteer their hands one week at a time in one of the big city camps. Today, Dr. Dicksheet has a small group of plastic surgeons from the United States who regularly accompany him for one week at a big city camp. Since 1994, the number of Indian plastic surgeons interested in participating in the project has steadily increased.
Today at the age of seventy one and despite his health complications, Dr. Dicksheet continues to spend a hectic five to six months every year in India, giving function and future to the poorest children of India with facial deformities. Dr. Dicksheet performs 40-60 procedures each day during camp season. Typically, the accompanying physicians perform 7 -10 procedures per day during the week they are assisting Dr. Dicksheet.
Dr. Dicksheet has established a trust to carry on his work forever. Upon his death, the Plastic Surgery Education Foundation of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons will receive a portion of the assets from his trust to continue his work.
A unique Organization
Dr. Dicksheet's India Project is unlike any other mission. Everyone who provides assistance to Dr. Dicksheet does it without remuneration of any kind. All administrative and surgeon costs are borne on a voluntary basis. Contributions and donations go directly to the camp operations. High volumes of medical equipment and supplies are required to run the camps, and are purchased with Dr. Dicksheet's own money and with contributions and donations made by Organizations, businesses, and private individuals in the United States. Indian donations contribute to the major expenditures required to organize 28-30 camps each season.
As Chief Minister of Maharashtra expressed so eloquently "The humanitarian contribution of this man sets an example for the world. While following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who preached that "Service To God Is Service To Mankind," he has exemplified how much more one can give when one is willing to give one's entire life, totally. He has shown that no obstacle in life is insurmountable when one has a goal to reach and ignDring his own suffering and misfortune." This year Dr. Dicksheet is the recipient of the coveted Diwaliben Award in India for his selfless service to humanity. In India, The Diwaliben Award is one of the highest honors bestowed to an individual. Nobel Laureates Mother Teresa, His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Albert Schweitzer are all recipients of this award.
What Distinguishes The India Project
World Organization Summits for the new millennium are establishing missions and goals to eliminate poverty and increase social inclusion through works providing opportunity, empowerment and security to the poorest people of the world.
Dr. Dicksheet's lifelong mission embodies the spirit of these goals and has made a significant impact toward opportunity, empowerment and security through his work with a scalpel in restoring dignity, function and prospect to the poorest children of India with facial deformities. He has performed over 64,000 surgeries of cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. Each surgery has been a life changing story for both the child, her/his immediate family and circle of relatives and friends, impacting over 5.6 million people in India.
His selfless dedication and extraordinary impact to social inclusion is inspirational and distinguishes him among persons of the world for his humanitarian work in strengthening the participation of the pod into the productive societies of India.
Trailblazer In A New Frontier
As Medical Science emerges in the twenty first century as one of the significant factors in poverty reduction, Dr. Dicksheet has been blazing this trail since 1968. Dr. Dicksheet recognized early on that his work with the scalpel would significantly contribute to the reduction of outcasts in India. Today, Organizations are emerging to contribute toward such efforts and are following in the path forged by Dr. Dicksheet.
Restoring Physical Function of Children
Infants born with Cleft Lips or Palates are unable to suckle milk and die of starvation or malnutrition, or are abandoned or killed by their parents. Abandoned children live as outcasts and are further vulnerable to starvation, malnutrition, violence and death. With Dr. Dicksheet's free surgery camps, the parents are empowered to take action and shape the destiny of their children. Thus he restores the physical functions of children and reduces their vulnerability to malnutrition, ill health and violence.
Contribution to Gender Inclusion
Dr. Dicksheet is sensitive to gender inequities and gives priority to female children with facial deformities. Female Children with cleft lip Dr other facial deformities are especially vulnerable to the perils of abandonment and death. Understanding this societal problem, Dr. Dicksheet strives to restore all children with facial deformities especially female children brought to him for surgery.
Recipient of Numerous Awards
Dr. Dicksheet has been honored every year by many different Organizations. Dr Dicksheet and his project has recently received three prestigious awards starting with the Diwaliben Mehta Award in Jan 2001, The Kellogg's Hannah Neil Award For Children in Dec 2001 and the NRIworld-Merrill Lynch NRI of the Year Award in Jan 2002'. To add to this the Government of India awarded the Padmashree Award to Dr Dicksheet.
The Diwaliben Award is one of the highest honors bestowed to an individual. Nobel Laureates Mother Teresa, His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Albert Schweitzer are all Recipients of this award. This is an incredible testimony to the human spirit of Dr. Dicksheet and his humanitarian work.
Click here for details of the awards and recognition.
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