Give A Smile

At the time, he was 18 years old and had just recently moved to Texas from his home in Ohio to attend college. Over the next few years he endured multiple surgeries, countless doctor visits and rehabilitation. His journey brought moments of discouragement and hard lessons learned regarding life and what is important. His determination and amazing a... ttitude inspired and up lifted many others along the way. Through his long road to recovery, he received words of encouragement, community support through a benefit that helped raise money to offset medical bills, and countless cards that inspired him to continue to keep fighting. The support he received left him ever thankful and appreciative of the power of healing through the gestures of the human heart. His life changed on the evening of the accident, but it was for a greater purpose. It was laid upon his heart to bring hope and encouragement to children and their families and in 2005 he founded To Give A Smile. In 2006 the organization launched its original website where visitors could sign up to volunteer, view photos from past events and donate. To Give A Smile's first outreach project took place at the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis, Tennessee in 2007 where they hosted a dinner reception for the patients and their families. 2009 was a big year for To Give A Smile. The organization received its 501c3 federal non-profit status and completed our first international medical mission trip to Peru. While in Peru, the TGAS team set up a free, two-day clinic in the village of Viru. A total of 155 children and adults were treated by the doctors and nurses. In 2014, To Give A Smile expanded our international medical mission presence by hosting a week-long clinic in Democratic Republic of Congo treating hundreds of children in need of medical care. Since then, the organization has continued to grow our international presence, supporting clinics each year in multiple countries, including Peru, Haiti and Philippines. By 2018, the organization had grown to supporting ...Read More