Hope may only be 13, but she is an extremely mature, compassionate and insightful young woman. Luckily for us, her bat mitzvah service was captured through Zoom and we had the privilege of hearing her moving speech. She didn’t want any gifts, just that her family and friends be there for her to celebrate and partake in this joyous occasion. Moved by the work myFace does and seeing how it mirrored the theme of her torah portion which addressed the power of words, she addressed the “importance of choosing kind” and how “small acts of kindness and generosity make the world a better place.”

For her mitzvah project, Hope participated in our recent Races for Faces Virtual Event, forming a team and raising over $1,300 with the message of “choosing kindness for everyone.” Hope knows that children and adults with craniofacial differences are often the object of bullying or ridicule just because they look different. She recognizes that words can be hurtful or helpful, but that we have the power to choose what we say.

Thank you, Hope, for this message of inspiration and for helping us to make a difference in the lives of those impacted by facial differences.