Dr. Robert Rey with 15-year-old mother of baby with cleft palatePhotos: La Prensa and La Tribuna, links below
Plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Rey, star of the television show Dr. 90210, participated in the operations on three children with cleft palates yesterday in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He said, "Thanks to the surgeries that I perform [on wealthy people in the U.S.], I can help the poor. I feel like a modern Robin Hood. There is much need here. This motivates me to return."
This was Dr. Rey's first trip to Honduras, and today (Saturday) he will be traveling to the Honduran island of Roatán before returning to Los Angeles, California. Proceso Digital stated that he will also be visiting La Ceiba, where he will give some economic help to a young Honduran who lost both hands after falling from a train in an attempt to enter the U.S. illegally.
The reality series Dr. 90210 is shown subtitled on cable here in Honduras. His presence at the Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa caused havoc among hundreds of the media, female doctors, and medical students trying to see him and take photos. "The cries and the sighs of crazed followers broke the quietness of the operating rooms," reported La Prensa. The melee actually delayed the surgeries for several hours.Dr. Rey, 43, was born to a very poor family in Brazil and was adopted by a US family. He said that he hopes to return to Honduras this year although it is difficult because the demand in this country is high, but no more than in other countries. He highly complemented the plastic surgeons with whom he worked.
El Heraldo quoted him as saying, "In addition I will buy a house in Honduras to come regularly because I am fascinated with this country." Hmmm!
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US doctors, dentists, and nurses frequently come to Honduras on medical missions, often to the poor areas where there are no doctors or hospitals. Just about any week of the year, there is a US medical mission somewhere in Honduras trying to meet the needs of the people who are forgotten by their government. Operation Smile (Operación Sonrisa) is an organization that specializes in treating poor children with cleft palate and regularly comes to Honduras. Unfortunately, not being television stars, these volunteers don't get quite as much attention.
Related Honduran newspaper articles, translated to English by Google. You can also click the link at the top of each page to view the original article in Spanish. (Note that Dr. Rey's name in some cases is translated to Dr. King.):
La Tribuna: Dr. Rey makes poor children happy
La Prensa: Dr. 90210 operates on three poor children
La Tribuna: Surprised at the plastic surgeries
El Tiempo: Dr. 90210 surprised at the techniques of Honduran plastic surgeons
Proceso Digital: Brazilian surgeon operates on Honduran children
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