Make-A-Wish ® Connecticut granted 18-year-old Chairalis Suarez’s wish to have a beautiful smile.
Like a typical 18-year-old, selfies are Chairalis’ world – but smiling selfies were hard to come by
because she felt so self-conscious of her teeth. According to Dr. N. Summer Lerch from the Center of Esthetic Dentistry, “Not liking your smile, not liking your teeth is a barrier, your spirit is held back, your ability to connect is diminished.”
Chairalis has a very rare genetic disorder that progressively destroys the nerve cells in her brain and spinal cord that leaves her in constant pain; and unfortunately, there is no cure. Sadly, her condition has been deteriorating over the past year and she is having increasing difficulty walking and talking. Another side effect of her treatments is that she lost all the enamel on her teeth, leaving them unprotected and vulnerable to decay. She has had more than 100 dentists’ visits to treat cavities, among many other issues. Her wish for a beautiful smile is what kept Chairalis hopeful and motivated through even more long hours of dentists’ visits. Her motivation was that “when my teeth are perfect, I’m going to spend all day laughing!”
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Her father Carlos shares, “I believe that her wish is going to help her a lot. She’ll feel secure, be able to smile and express herself. Plus, her inner beauty will be able to shine through her new, beautiful smile. Make-A-Wish can grant any wish, and among all those options my daughter wished for her smile back. It doesn’t get any better than that!”
Through the corrective dental work that Chairalis received from the Center of Esthetic Dentistry,
Chairalis’ self-confidence and desire to smile were restored – she now has a beautiful smile worthy of many awesome selfies!
Find out what's happening in New Havenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Make-A-Wish is in the business of delivering hope, and hope has never been more important than now for our wish kids. It can be difficult to continue to hope when we have had so many dreams deferred due circumstances beyond our control, but the moment we have something to look forward to, everything begins to change. Hope is a superpower that kids living with critical illness, like Chairalis, have been tapping into long before many of us heard the word, “lockdown.” Helping more kids find hope is something we all have the power to do, because for these children—as for all of us—the promise of a wish is so much more than a temporary escape. It’s a wellspring of strength to keep fighting for better days. Hope is essential for children living with critical illnesses and you can unlock its transformative power today. Don’t wait for hope; create it! Donate now at ct.wish.org.
