She Used to be Shy, but Now She Shines
CCA dedicates Giving Tuesday to help more kids Shine
Dallas, Texas. Like the holiday lights shining brightly all around the country during this festive season, Children’s Craniofacial Association’s 2015 Giving Tuesday theme is SHINE, because when we think of CCA, one image comes to mind: our kids’ lit-up faces at the Annual Family Retreat. From the moment they peep out from behind their parent’s protective grips and see another kid that has “their same face,” there’s only one word to describe what happens: they shine.
During our annual four-day event, CCA Kids’ smiles never leave their faces and “can’t” is not a word you hear. At Retreat, CCA Kids’ confidence beams so brightly that even the parents in attendance breathe in the joy.
Darryl and Deena Dyson, proud parents of Teresa Joy (now age 8), describe their first moments at their first Retreat, with Deena saying, “While holding tight to TJ, I was scanning around at faces, curious about who might also be with CCA. I shortly noticed an adorable girl a few years older than my daughter jumping in the pool, splashing around, and having the time of her life… I was dumbstruck to observe this courageous and fun-loving girl was swimming with a tracheostomy!”
Though they had been having second thoughts about coming to the Retreat even just 24 hours before the family was set to fly out, Dyson continues saying, “I realized in that instant that nothing negative could come out of what we were about to experience at Retreat. This was not going to be a weekend of limits, sob stories, or holding back because of fear.”
Our Annual Family Retreat is life changing for every family member involved. Parents are able to see their children in a new light – in a setting where they excel at making friends and trying new things … something our kids often struggle with back home. Siblings who attend can make friends who “get it” – what it’s like to grow up in a family that often gets more stares than smiles. And of course, the children with facial differences in attendance find a new confidence and zeal for life that is sometimes hard to cultivate apart from such an accepting and welcoming community. The Dysons sum it up beautifully, saying, “At Retreat, we arrived at a place of joy, bravery and miracles beyond what we had ever seen. No one we encountered over the next days is living their lives as if being ‘different’ is a tragedy.” Indeed, these kids are shining examples of a fulfilling, happy life.
This year, please plan to give a gift that shines in the lives of others. Give to CCA on Giving Tuesday and change an entire family’s life. You can contribute to our campaign to raise $5000 to send more kids to our Annual Family Retreat on December 1, 2015 at www.givingtuesday.razoo.com/ccakids.
About Our Organization: Children’s Craniofacial Association (CCA) is a national nonprofit that exists to empower and give hope to children with facial differences and support for the entire family. We raise funds to send children to our annual retreat and to provide financial assistance to families traveling for surgery or medical care, along with other programs to reach our vision of a world where people are accepted for who they are, not how they look.