Dr Alex Seijas is a Venezuelan dentist living in the United Kingdom and the founder of Mission Beyond Smiles, a charitable initiative that supports underserved communities in Venezuela. He is also the Founder and Clinical Director of The London Orthodontic Clinic and ODL Dental Clinic, dental clinics in central London.
I have been deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake that has affected communities across Venezuela. Like so many Venezuelans living abroad, I have spent the past hours anxiously trying to contact family and friends. Thankfully, my immediate family are safe, for which I am enormously grateful. My parents’ home sustained only minor damage, although several members of my wider family have suffered significant damage to their homes and possessions. While everyone is thankfully alive, it has been an extremely frightening and distressing experience, and many remain understandably shaken.
The people of Venezuela have already endured enormous challenges in recent years, including economic hardship, political uncertainty and social instability. For many families, this earthquake represents yet another devastating blow at a time when their resilience has already been tested beyond measure.
Although I now live and work in the United Kingdom, Venezuela will always be my home, and my connection to its people and communities remains incredibly strong. Through our recent Mission Beyond Smiles initiative, our team of Venezuelan dental professionals travelled from the UK to the Venezuelan Amazon to provide essential dental care and support to underserved Indigenous communities. That experience reinforced both the extraordinary resilience of the Venezuelan people and the urgent need to continue supporting those facing hardship.
At moments such as this, international solidarity and humanitarian support become more important than ever. My thoughts are with everyone affected by this disaster, particularly those who have lost loved ones, homes or livelihoods.
I would like to thank everyone who has reached out with messages of support and concern for my family and for Venezuela. Their kindness has meant a great deal during this incredibly difficult time.
As the full extent of the damage becomes clearer, I hope the international community will continue to stand alongside the Venezuelan people. The strength, dignity and resilience I have witnessed throughout my life, and through our charitable work, give me confidence that these communities will recover. However, they should not have to face these challenges alone.
If this statement helps raise awareness of the ongoing humanitarian needs in Venezuela and encourages even a small amount of additional support for those affected, then some good will have come from this terrible tragedy.”
For more information about the work of Mission Beyond Smiles, please visit: https://www.odldentalclinic.com/mission-beyond-smiles
Dr Alex Seijas
Founder, The London Orthodontic Clinic and ODL Dental Clinic
Founder, Mission Beyond Smiles
