Doctor Han Kai has been helping children who suffer from cleft lip and palate for 30 years. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

Han Kai, a plastic surgeon from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has been helping children who suffer from cleft lip and palate for 30 years.

Every child has the right to smile with pride – this is Han's motto which has guided him throughout his career.

Doctor Han first visited Aksu prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in August 2012. He said the trip not only helped local residents, but also reignited a fiery passion within his heart and mind.

Over the course of the next eight years, Han visited the area another four times and was thrilled to see more and more children being cured of the condition and living better lives.

Han said he once hesitated to save the life of a then one-year-old boy who had a cleft extending all the way to his eyes.

Han was ultimately swayed by the child's parents.

"We've never even brought our boy outside because we're afraid he might scare others and they'll look at him differently."

The doctor will embark on another trip to Aksu this June, he said, and will bring a special gift to local children on International Children's Day.

Doctor Han takes a photo with children in Aksu who have undergone surgery to fix their cleft palattes. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]