Patients Ripple Effect: How Abril Found Her Voice Meet Abril, a young woman using her lived experience as inspiration to help children feel the same confidence and care she received in Puebla, Mexico. February 19, 2026 One of the most rewarding aspects of our work at Operation Smile is seeing what happens over time when you create opportunities for a young child. In our Ripple Effect series, we introduce you to patients and volunteers whose journeys have led them to a life of creating a positive impact in their communities and beyond. Abril is 18 and lives in Puebla, Mexico. Born with a cleft palate, she lost both of her parents at a young age. She and her older sister were raised by their grandmother. She first learned about Operation Smile when she was 16 through a WhatsApp group message from her aunt. “I was scared,” Abril remembers, “but a part of me wanted to learn more.” With her grandmother’s encouragement, she decided to attend a surgical program in Puebla.…