Ever since I entered the teaching profession in 2011, I have been privileged to have met some of the most talented and diverse pupils in my life. One of the most gratifying features of teaching for me, is the ability to meet new people and establish a lasting bond and rapport with students.
One such amiable soul that I have met in my teaching career is a very reticent, yet spirited little girl. She has one of the most beautiful and warmest smiles one could ever imagine. She has an indefatigable spirit, and is so committed and dedicated to learning: let me introduce you to the beautiful and indomitable 10-year-old Tiara Smith.
Tiara was born in Belize City to two most loving parents who were ecstatic to raise such a beautiful and charming baby girl. As they began to build a bond of warmth and affection with their precious little baby girl, the unthinkable happened; tragedy struck. Tiara fell ill and was taken to the hospital at the tender age of two.
Doctors were baffled at what was wrong with her, and she was diagnosed with salmonella (at the time) and released from the hospital. As a consequence of her illness, she could not walk and after consistent therapy as a toddler, she would eventually be made to walk with a noticeable limp.
As the years inched on by, Tiara struggled physically to keep up with the other children her age. While she was able to attend school and excelled academically, her ability to stand and walk was deteriorating rapidly. After she was examined by many doctors, countless therapists and a few specialists concerning her mobility issues, doctors were still confounded, and they couldn’t definitively ascertain what was causing the rapid deterioration in her ability to stand and walk.
Her prognosis was further compounded to grim, and all came to a head in 2019 when little Tiara, who will be turning 11 years old in a week, was confined to a wheelchair and was rendered unable to walk and fend for herself.
Thankfully, Tiara has been blessed with a most loving, dedicated and committed mother who has stuck to her side throughout this entire ordeal, and who has been her biggest supporter and fan. But today, they really need your help. Tiara’s health is rapidly deteriorating, and I humbly call upon you to reach out to them and pledge your support to this family by assisting Tiara so that she can get the requisite medical attention she so urgently needs.
When I spoke to her mother, Hortence Thurton, she was overcome with feelings of despair as she reflected back on the healthy and spirited child that her daughter once was in the early stage of her life. She recounted to me her daily plight of having to hold her emotions back as she cares for her Tiara, who is basically unable to look after herself.
Given that Tiara is now confined to a wheelchair, her mother, Hortence, has to care for her all day in an effort to ensure that she receives the requisite attention and the adequate care that she needs.
Additionally, given Tiara’s condition, she requires a lot of personal care products that aid her in leading a more normal life. Consequently, the family is asking for all the support and assistance that can be afforded to them; be it in cash or other forms of aid.
The ultimate hope of the family is for Tiara to be adequately assessed by a specialist who will be able to provide her with the adequate care and treatment that she needs so that she may one day (soon) be able to walk again, resume her studies and lead a life of normalcy, and ultimately be able to explore and realize the full scope of her potential.
In the interim, Tiara and her family are facing increasing hardships, and they really need your help. Tiara has a long list of health and hygienic products that she needs that are very costly and expensive. The family also desperately wants to seek proper medical attention for Tiara, but they lack the financial capacity and resources to do so.
Therefore, it is with that in mind that I join the family to plead for help and assistance for little Tiara Smith. Every child who is battling an illness needs a superhero – you can be that superhero and assist this family in their time of need and despair.
For those who wish to reach out to the family and assist Tiara in any form or measure, feel free to contact Hortence Thurton (mother) at telephone number 626-7979, or visit them at their home address at #16 Queen Charlotte Street in Belize City.
Remember, we are all in this together, and no one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. For there is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up, because when we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is in turn blessed.
Our primary purpose on this earth is to be of loving help and service to one and other, so reach out to the family, for Tiara needs our help. Remember, you have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you!
Shower Tiara and her family with your love, support, financial assistance and blessings. It will be returned to you tenfold.
God Bless Tiara and God Bless Belize!