smiling

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Two smile stories have come to me this week. First, from Ruth.

Ruth's granddaughter was born with bilateral microtia. In other words, she was born without ears. This sweet girl is 11 years old and just had surgery. She now has a left ear! In December she will be getting a right ear as well. With a hearing aid she can hear out of her right side, and she speaks normally. But what really got me about this amazing story is that she also needs a facial nerve transplant so that she will be able to smile.

Can you imagine, not being able to smile?

I'll bet she never wanted to smile so much in her life as she did when she looked in the mirror and saw her ear for the first time.

I'm guessing she has learned ways to show a smile without actually smiling. With her eyes. Her words. Her hands. Through laughter. But can you imagine laughing without smiling?

I'm excited for this sweet girl to one day get a smile on the outside that matches the one she wears inside.

***

The second story is about Sweet Savannah Joy, and came to me by way of Jane, her great-great aunt. Savannah Joy has been in her mommy's tummy for 26 weeks. Ten weeks ago her parents found out she had a neural tube defect. In other words, most of her brain and skull will never develop and she will either be stillborn or die shortly after her birth.

Savannah's parents made the brave decision to continue with the pregnancy and embrace every moment they have with their precious daughter. They started a list of 100 things they want Savannah to experience while she is alive and kicking inside the womb. Each week they cross a few more off the list: going to the zoo, reading bedtime stories, eating a Happy Meal, and building a sandcastle.

Each week they blog about the wonderful experiences their daughter is having. And each week they admit that as the days draw closer to Savannah's birthday, October 7th, the idea of having to say goodbye to her gets harder and harder.

Last week they shared an especially tender moment when, during a 4-d ultrasound, Savannah Joy smiled for her parents. A moment, a photo, they will forever cherish.

EMBRACE SMILING.

First smiles. Whether they happen in the womb or not until you are a teenager. Have the power to transform lives.


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