July 25, 2006

Time for another much-needed update!

We have been very busy with fundraisers, applications for kiddos in need of treatment and the daily maintenance required to keep a growing non-profit foundation going. We held both our 2nd Annual Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} Hole-in-One Putting Contest/HUMMER Giveaway and our 3rd Annual Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} Polo Match fundraisers in June so July has been a bit of a "housekeeping" month - getting everything filed and put away in it's proper place. Both fundraising events were VERY successful - you can read all about them, as well as view some pictures from each, on our "Events" page.

A couple of extremely exciting happenings in the fundraising department in addition to the events mentioned above: a generous person in Chicago contacted us regarding sponsoring a child in a friends' name and a large family foundation, the Graziadio Family Foundation, contacted us requesting information about Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®}in order to determine whether to make a substantial donation to our foundation.

In both instances we were obviously very honored to be considered for these types of donations and thrilled that we are becoming known in other parts of the nation (we have previously been contacted by families in other states and countries regarding treatment options, but not for donation purposes).

We were happy to apply the donated funds from Chicago to our newest patient, Stephanie, who will require extensive surgery (including a tissue expander) to repair a congenital nevus on the left side of her face. This is the first time we have had funds earmarked for a specific child and sponsorship given as a gift to someone. We hope to see more of both!

Immediately following our polo match, we received a call from a gentleman representing the Graziadio Family Foundation (though at the time we did not realize this & thought he was simply someone interested in Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®}). He requested detailed information about Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} including how the money is disbursed, the application process, the origin of the foundation, etc. Last week, we received a very touching letter along with a check for a substantial donation from the Graziadio Family Foundation. The Graziadio Family Foundation was originated by George & Reva Graziadio many years ago, and over the years they have contributed to numerous organizations with an emphasis in education & medical research & support. George Graziadio passed away in 2002, however his wife, their children and grown grandchildren continue the tradition of giving to causes they deem worthy.

Needless to say, we have been extremely touched emotionally by the generosity exhibited in both of these instances and promise to continue to use these and all future donations with the utmost discretion: for the treatment of children who, without our help, would have to continue to live with their malformations.

In other news, a meeting with the staff of The Fogelson Center last Spring, concluded with all deciding that there are many children in need of treatment that do not necessarily have vascular malformations. Therefore, we have decided to consider applications for treatment for children not only with vascular malformations, but also with other malformations/conditions not covered by insurance and/or Medicaid/CHIPS. This has led to 4 new applications in the last 2 months. As with other Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} sponsored children, these children have hard working parents and no other options for funding for the needed treatment. To view pictures of all of the children we are currently sponsoring for treatment, please visit our "Before & After Pictures" page.

That's it for now! As always, we appreciate each and every one of you who supports Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} - whether you do it with kind and encouraging words, with your time or with monetary donations. Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} would not be successful in impacting children's lives without your help!

February 2006, "Share A Cup With A Soldier" update.....

We had a very exciting visitor this week!.....SSG Frank Sarratt is a local soldier stationed in Baghdad and one of the recipients of the coffee donated by Plano residents for the "Share A Cup With A Soldier" project we coordinated with Starbucks back in the Fall. SSG Sarratt was home on leave for 2 weeks and wanted to personally thank some of the children who wrote thank you letters to the troops, so he contacted Vi at the Starbucks store as well as staff at the local elementary school responsible for many of the notes. Before he left Baghdad, SSG Sarratt put together a slide show, accompanied by music, of some of the men and women he works with drinking the coffee and reading the notes. He came to the school this week to present the show, answer questions and let the kiddos know how much of an impact their notes had on him and his fellow soldiers. The presentation was very touching and the students were able to see first hand that they made a difference in the soldiers lives. We all enjoyed meeting SSG Sarratt and his wife, Dominica, and appreciate the time he took out of his precious two week leave to personally thank those involved with the project. SSG Sarratt has 6 more months to serve before he returns home.....we wish him and his troops the best and will keep them in our prayers each day.

If you would like to see pictures of his visit to the school, check out the link on our "Events and Media" page!
Linda Stewart Ball from the Dallas Morning News came out to cover the visit and plans to run the story with pictures in the weekend edition of the paper, so if you live in the DFW area look for the article!

January 7, 2006

Wow - time flies - Happy New Year!! So much has happened since our last update, I'm not sure where to begin, but I'll do my best!

One of the most exciting happenings is that the Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} is now in the process of putting together an official Marketing team!!! Our foundation goal is to grow so we can help even more children in need of our services, and in order to do this properly, we realized we needed to call in the experts! Blake & I, along with all of those involved closely with the Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®}, love the foundation and are very passionate about our mission, however we do not have the time or expertise to market the foundation effectively. In October, the Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} joined the Volunteer Center of North Texas in hopes of finding the assistance we so desperately need. The Volunteer Center placed ads for us in the local newspapers and almost immediately we began to receive responses. We are putting together a wonderful small group of volunteers willing to dedicate their time and expertise to help the Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} grow to it's potential. Each of the volunteers who will be working with the foundation has a unique set of experiences and ideas, all of which I am certain will benefit the foundation tremendously.

In other news…….Belinda Ruggeri is working on a fundraising event to be held at the of January at the Vineyards New and Antique Mall here in Plano, with the Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} as the beneficiary of the funds raised. Please visit the "Events" page on the website for more specific information. We are excited that Share A Smile has been chosen as the mall's "charity of choice" for all fundraising activities held at their facility! The events page also has pictures from our most recent fundraising event in which we partnered with local Starbuck's stores to collect coffee and "thank you" letters for soldiers overseas. Check it out!

The Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} is also a finalist for the opportunity to partner with renowned advertising agency Leo Burnett. As the most awarded agency at the Effie awards for 4 straight years, Leo Burnett USA is the "Most Effective Agency in America". They have helped build many of the world's most valuable brands, including McDonald's, Disney, Proctor & Gamble, Altoids, Kellogg, Nintendo and the U.S. Army. Leo Burnett is seeking a nonprofit partner as a prospective client partner they can grow "into a powerful and recognized brand". It is a nationwide contest so there are many applications - keep your fingers crossed for us!

Most importantly, several of our patients have been in for treatments these past few months. Some have had as many as 3 treatments or surgeries. We are currently treating 6 patients - with 2 having completed their treatments. Let's keep up the momentum! Please help us spread the word that we have funds to begin treatment on several more children in need!

Thank you for your interest in the Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®}!

Holly & Blake Stock

March 8, 2005

Time for a much needed update on our kiddos!

Jacqueline - our very first patient - continues to progress well with her treatments. She is scheduled for her 4th procedure this month and there has been marked improvement in the appearance of her port-wine stain. Jacqueline, who will be 16 in June, continues to do well in school - her favorite classes are Art & Computer.

A little background on Jacqueline: while receiving her first treatment at the clinic last year, her blood pressure was found to be dangerously high. Immediately following the procedure, Jacqueline was admitted to Children's Medical Center, where she remained for 4 days before doctors there were able to lower her blood pressure & figure out what was causing it to be so high. They discovered that her blood pressure had been high for so long that it was causing Jacqueline's kidneys to fail - she was diagnosed with chronic renal insufficiency - and one of her kidneys had to be removed. Jacqueline currently takes 2 medications to lower her blood pressure as it is still very high and her doctors are trying to prevent any further damage to her remaining kidney. She sees her doctor regularly and her health is stable at this time.

We are all grateful that Jacqueline's condition was recognized when it was. Had she not been in for treatment of her port-wine stain, her health may have deteriorated to the point where both of her kidneys would have to be removed and she would have to rely on dialysis....or worse. We'll be sure to keep you updated on Jacqueline's health.

As for our other kiddos.....Mary-Allison required only the one treatment and, Austin, along with Jacqueline, is scheduled for treatment this month. We had a new patient, Lesly, who is a year & a half old, in for treatment in February, and we have one new patient scheduled this month: Delanie, who will be 4 in May. We also have applications pending for 2 more kiddos in need of treatment! As with Jacqueline, Austin & Mary-Allison, all have parents who are working hard but do not have insurance or Medicaid/CHIP coverage for their child's needed treatment.

We have been very busy planning our 2nd Annual Polo Match. It will be held on Mother's Day, May 8th, at the Las Colinas Polo Club. If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, we would love for you to join us! Check out the "Events" section of this site for more information, or feel free to give us a call.

One last, very important note: Dr. Jay Burns partner at the Fogelson Plastic & Craniofacial Clinic, Dr. John Burns (no relation) has generously volunteered to provide treatment for some of our kiddos! As with Dr. Jay, he will provide his services free of charge. We are eternally grateful to both of these caring & extremely generous doctors! Without them, the Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®} would not exist and the children you read about above would not have the options they have for treatment.

Thanks for taking the time to check out our website and read a little about us!

Holly & Blake

July 28, 2004

We have a couple of things to update you all on. Firstly, our 14 year-old patient, Jacqueline, has undergone her 2nd treatment for the port-wine stain that covers part of her face. We are happy to report that her treatment is going well and she continues to have a wonderful, positive attitude!

Secondly, we have been able to begin treatment on two other patients: a two year-old boy named Austin and a 17 year-old girl named Mary Allison. Both have port-wine stains that will require several treatments, but initial results are favorable. As with Jacqueline, they have parents who work hard but do not have insurance to cover their medical treatments, nor do they qualify for CHIPS.

We'll continue to keep you posted on Jacqueline, Austin and Mary Allison's progress. Again, we want to thank all of you who have contributed to the Share A Smile Foundation^{TM ®}. Without your generosity, Jacqueline, Austin and Mary Allison would not have the opportunity to have their malformations treated. You are making a difference in a childs life!

Blake & Holly

August 25, 2003

To Combined Group staff and contributors:
I wanted to bring you up to speed on current events of the SASF. We've had much behind the scenes activity, which was caused primarily by a newly elected director of Children's Medical Center. As you may recall Children's had agreed to provide their facilities for SASF at cost. The newly elected director insisted upon contracting our agreement. This has now been finalized.

We are happy to inform you that we can actually 'share a smile' with one of the candidate patients Dr. Burns talked about last December. Her name is Jacqueline. She is a 14-year-old straight-A student who has a port wine stain on the entire right side of her face. After her initial consultation with Dr. Burns in November, her family stayed behind until all other patients had left, to thank him once again for seeing their daughter. The father is a painter and earns too much money to qualify for CHIPS or Medicaid, but not enough money to afford insurance for his family.

This past week Dr. Burn's office telephoned Jacqueline's mother and informed her that treatment of her daughter's birthmark may be scheduled. She was extremely thankful that such a blessing was bestowed upon her. Jacqueline's first surgery (as it may require more than one) has been posted for December 10th. As Dr. Burn's office identifies other qualified candidates they also will be scheduled for treatment. I will keep you informed as things progress. Thank you once again for all of the hard work you have put into this. It has taken a long time to get this far, but the rewards are just beginning. Through your hard work, determination, and contributions we are actually able to make a real difference in this child's (and others) life.

God bless,

Blake.

August 4, 2003

I am happy to inform you that we were actually able to 'share a smile' today with one of our patients. Jacqueline is a 14-year-old straight-A student who has a port wine stain to her right temple. After her initial consultation with Dr. Burns in November, her family stayed behind until all the other patients had left, to thank him once again for seeing their daughter. The father is a painter and earns too much money to qualify for CHIPS or Medicaid, but not enough money to afford insurance for his family.

Through your hard work, determination, and contributions, we were able to telephone Jacqueline's mother today and inform her that we can now treat her daughter's birthmark. She was extremely thankful that such a blessing was bestowed upon her.

Jacqueline's first surgery has been posted for December 10th but hopefully we can operate sooner if Dr. Burns schedule opens up. I will keep you informed as things progress. Thank you once again for all of the hard work you have put into this. It has taken a long time to get this far, but the rewards are just beginning.

Julie Cadena, BS, RN
Childrens Medical Center of Dallas
Plastic Surgery & Vascular Anomalies