Help Chiara grow back her smile

Eight years ago, our daughter Chiara, then seven, had a severe accident in the bathroom. She slipped while carrying her puppy and smashed her face into the sink. The impact broke her nose and jaw, impaled her four front teeth into her jaw, fractured her skull, and damaged two neck vertebrae. We knew her recovery would be long.

Now 15, Chiara has endured 47 surgeries and still struggles with facial movement and self-consciousness about her appearance. Thankfully, a Cape Town-based surgeon, Professor Rushdi Hendricks, and his team are preparing to rebuild her mouth, including her upper jaw, offering a chance for a new smile.

We're currently in Cape Town for Chiara's treatment. Professor Hendricks, a renowned maxillofacial and oral surgeon, has given us hope again. Chiara is three steps away from her new smile, a significant improvement after years of battling infections and complications.

Following the accident, Chiara frequently faced hospital visits due to persistent infections. We reached out to Professor Karen Brandt Onel in New York, who connected us with Prof...