Speech pathologists Mikaela Bow and Kate Hanrahan left their jobs, families and the daily grind to volunteer in Trujillo, Peru.
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The pair traveled for more than 48 hours and caught eight flights to help South American children born with cleft lips and palates.
With the help of the Global Smile Foundation the 12-day trip was a success.
A cleft lip and palate occurs when some of the lip and/or palate does not join up properly before birth. Babies born with this condition need surgery to repair the cleft.
The condition occurs in approximately one in 800 babies born in Australia.
Mikaela and Kate said their Peruvian adventure was an emotional roller coaster where they shared tears and special moments with local families.
The trip involved more than 235 therapy sessions, 45 sessions to help with bottle feeding, and the daily education of Peruvian doctors and physiotherapists to help with ongoing care.
Mrs Hanrahan said organising the trip with three children at home was a logistical nightmare but she was thankful for the opportunity to help people in need.
"I felt grateful [about living in Australia] before but [experiencing another country] really reinforces how lucky we are," Mrs Hanrahan said.
"Making connections and working with families was the most rewarding part."
The duo from Southern Highlands Speech Pathology ran speech therapy sessions and worked with children with disabilities and complex communication needs throughout their visit.
"There was a huge focus on providing education to other health professionals in order for this to be sustainable," Ms Bow said.
"The ideal goal is that we are able to set up a cleft clinic... so services can be provided all year round."
Mikaela will return to Peru in October 2019 for her fourteenth adventure with the Global Smile Foundation over three years.
Mikaela and Kate thanked friends, staff and clients from Southern Highlands Speech Pathology for their support.
More than $2500 was raised for baby formula, books and toys for children undergoing therapy.
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