Large Number
He couldn’t believe it. As he stared at the large number before him, there was a tiny spark of hope.
He had almost forgotten what happiness felt like. People had been horrible to him for so long. But now, a group of people he had never met were going to change his life forever.
Different Kid
10 years ago, when the teasing first started, Evan already knew he was different from the other kids.
They all had bright smiles and loads of friends. There was playful ribbing yes, and plenty of joking around. But it felt like one day, out of the blue, no one wanted to be around him. That’s when the pain turned to tears.
What's The Big Deal?
He just couldn’t understand. Some kids had big ears or tripped over their growing feet every time they ran.
So why were his teeth such a big deal? They started as big, white pearls at the front of his bright smile. He thought it made him special. The other kids didn’t agree, and oh boy did they let him know.
Mean Nickname
It started as glances and secret whispers with plenty of snickering and pointing.
However, thanks to one of the meaner boys, it instantly changed to something unbearable. “Rabbit Boy” was his new nickname. Every time someone said it, his stomach would go into sick twist and knots. His mom tried to step in.
Getting Worse
Her advice of “just ignore them” didn’t work. He tried to tell them to stop and leave him alone, but the teasing only got worse!
He would come home every day crying and begging to not have to go to school the next day. One night, he overheard a heartbreaking conversation between his parents.
Bad Day
It had come after one extra-harsh day. Evan had liked one girl forever, and he thought they were friends.
But every part of him wanted to curl up into a dark hole the moment she joined the “Rabbit Boy” team. “How much?!” his father had said, spitting out his coffee.
Worst Case
“The dentist said it’s the worst case of buck teeth he’s seen in his entire 25 years.
It’s going to cost at least $12,000 to fix them,” his mom answered. Evan huddled near the stairs and started to cry. He knew that was a lot of money ... and they didn’t have it. He would be stuck like this forever.
Sudden Change
How was he going to get through the rest of school, or life for that matter?
But then something strange happened. Suddenly, his parents got really happy ... like “crying” happy. They promised thing would get better really soon. Did they get a raise at work? Maybe they won the lottery?
Public Donations
Even sat at the kitchen table, confused why his parents were so elated.
But when they said news report and “donations”, he finally understood. After years of torture, there was finally a ray of hope. But how much had the fundraise brought in? It wasn’t $12,000.
Enormous Generosity
The news story about Evan’s teeth had gone viral.
He poured through the messages of love and support from people all over the world. The total donations that came in was just over $100,000! He wasn’t just going to get his teeth fixed, he was about to get the best of the best!
Long Process
The dentist warned him it would be a painful process that would take years. But he didn’t care. He was ready to start now!
The pain couldn’t be worse than what he had to deal with at school. The first thing was to fix the angle. Most teeth sat at a 2% tilt, but his was at 12!
Getting Better
They moved them 15mm and it already made a huge difference. But that wasn’t the end of things.
Evan gratefully took every headache and toothache that came his way over the years. And while most kids cried when they got braces, he was the happiest he had ever been!
People Nicer
Slowly, the teasing fizzled into standard silliness that came with the age group. Even the girl that had stopped being friends with him tried to be nicer.
Evan wasn’t going to be mean to her, but he certainly wasn’t going to be friends. It had been a long process, but the last day finally arrived.
Final Day!
Evan sat in the dentist chair with his smiling mom right beside him.
Today was the day the braces would come off. It had been so many surgeries and metal in his mouth. But each pang of discomfort was a wonderful reminder that things were changing. The dentist took off the last bracket and handed him a mirror.
Smiling Forever
They were perfect! He marvelled at his bright, shining grin. Even is mom cried a little.
The bullying had been horrible, but thanks to the kindness of strangers from all over the world, he could finally be happy again. He would be grateful forever, and he would never stop smiling.