Million Dollar Smiles

One Saturday in December, I  was on the couch in my pajamas eating grilled cheese and watching the newest season of Fuller House (a TV show) that had just came out on Netflix. The day was going to be pretty uneventful. Mostly I was just putting off the homework I knew I had to finish before Monday, lest my mom scold me and I'd have twice as much school to do on Monday (I'm homeschooled, so my mom is my teacher 🙂). My mom had told me earlier in the week that a surprise was supposed to be arriving at the house between 10:00 in the morning and 2:00 in the afternoon, and I had no idea what it was. About nine episodes into the fourth season of Fuller House, our doorbell rang.

When I (begrudgingly) kicked my cat off my lap where she'd been sleeping and got off the couch to open the front door, I figured I'd see a delivery guy dropping off a sweater that my sister had ordered online or something like that. I opened the door, and I met an extremely nice couple who greeted me and my dad (who had silently shown up behind me with the stalking skill of some sort of five foot tall cat that walks on two legs and holds up a camera) with a big, cuddly teddy bear and a bright smile.

What I was soon to know was that the lovely people at my door were volunteers with Million Dollar Smiles, a charity that does many wonderful things for kids who have been diagnosed with a disease or disability.  One of their outreach campaigns is the Holiday Bear Drive, where volunteers drive all over the city delivering bears and gift certificates to kids and their siblings ('cause brothers and sisters have a lot to deal with too when they support a sibling with an illness or disability).

To learn more about Million Dollar Smiles, check out their website here, or their Facebook page here.

I have to tell you, the thoughtfulness of the people who came to my door, and of the charity who started this, really made me feel awesome - like, there are people who care enough about other people that they do something so fantastic.  And I love that they remembered my sister and brothers, because they have been such a great support to me these past two years since my diagnosis.  And I know it hasn't been easy for them to worry about me, and have to go through all the battles I have had with Type 1.  This is definitely a family affair! 

And the bear was just about as big as me!  My younger brother got a slightly smaller bear (just slightly!), and my older brother and sister got Cineplex gift cards and a small bear each.  

According to my mom, our Diabetes clinic team was the connection between us and Million Dollar Smiles.  They gave the charity our name, and things were easily arranged between my mom and them after that.

It was just such a wonderful experience that I had to share it! It definitely put a big smile on my face.


Okay, not the Grinch kind of smile, an actual one! Merry Belated Christmas, Type 1 Warriors!



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Till next time, Type 1 Warriors!


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