Arsenal Star Ozil Helps 18 Children Receive Life Changing Surgery In Uganda

By
Emre Sarigul
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CARSON, CALIFORNIA - JULY 17: Mesut Oezil of Arsenal London looks on during the 2019 International Champions Cup match between Arsenal London and FC Bayern Muenchen at Dignity Health Sports Park on July 17, 2019 in Carson, California. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has helped 18 children receive life-changing surgery in Uganda via the Big Shoe charity project.

Big Shoe shared a story on their official Instagram channel regarding their latest initiative in North West Uganda.

Big Shoe is a worldwide charity focusing on helping disadvantaged kids with life-changing medical operations for cleft lips and palates, cataracts, heart defects, burns and more.

Ozil has been involved in the charity since 2014 when he took on the 11 children who needed surgery during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

In all the charity has carried out 1600 much-needed operations for impoverished children around the world since being founded in 2006.

The playmaker of Turkish origin has regularly worked with the charity as well as other projects ever since.

Ozil and his wife Amine Gulse marked their wedding day in Istanbul over the summer by funding surgery for 1,000 children via BigShoe.

View this post on Instagram

Many fans have asked me, my close relatives and friends about our wishes for tomorrow's wedding. As a professional footballer I am in a fortunate and privileged position. However, I invite everyone who is willing and able to help to support a very special project close to both of our hearts that we will undertake with @big.shoe11! ?? Amine and I will bear the expenses for surgeries of 1000 children in need. I’d be happy if in addition, many more treatments all over the world can be fulfilled. If you would like to help this good cause, please click the link in my bio. I have really taken the team at BigShoe and the passion they treat their young patients with to my heart. BigShoe works alongside German and Swiss Doctors to help children all around the world by providing life changing surgeries. Burns, club feet & clefts are medical conditions that developing countries struggle to treat due to lack of doctors, money and medicine. We have already worked together for surgeries in Brazil (Worldcup 2014), in Africa (2016) and in Russia (2018). Now we want to go the next step and help children worldwide. ??❤ #M1Ö @gulseamine

A post shared by Mesut Özil (@m10_official) on

Other footballers, such Paul Pogba, Antonio Rudiger and Philipp Lahm, are also supporters of BigShoe.

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