“Do we choose a charity, or does the charity choose us?” Meg Hughes’ story

In 1956 when I was 9 years old, my dentist saw an unusual mass on my lower jaw. A biopsy determined that the mass was a benign fibrous dysplasia. The mass encompassed my entire lower jaw and couldn’t be easily removed.

Over the next 30 years, I had ten surgeries to keep the growth from distorting my face—including removing all the teeth from that part of my mouth. I was self-conscious about the lump on my face and missing teeth until modern dentistry caught up and I received a prosthetic dental device.

Fast forward 50 years, and my husband was in an assisted living facility after he suffered a stroke. When I asked one of his aides what her family was doing for the holidays, she told me that they were skipping traditional gifts and donating to Smile Train.

After hearing about this beautiful gesture, I researched Smile Train and decided that I wanted to help children smile too. I became a monthly donor and even included Smile Train in my will.

In 2017 I had the opportunity to witness the work of Smile Train firsthand by attending a Journey of Smiles visit to Haiti. We spent time with a child before and after his cleft treatment and even witnessed his surgery. We met his grateful mother, the local medical team, and a former patient who had a successful cleft surgery several years prior. He still had a huge smile on his face.

My childhood experiences with facial differences, a chance encounter with a dedicated Smile Train supporter, and eventually seeing the power of a Smile Train cleft surgery firsthand have all led me to become a passionate donor and advocate.

I believe Smile Train chose me.