A Heart for Helping

With creativity and cookies, 16-year-old Abby Wenger helps put the heart in heartland when it comes to helping others on a world scale. The Westmoore High School sophomore has raised more than $4,000 for Smile Train, an international charity, as its only Oklahoma-based student ambassador.

While the much-lauded Oklahoma Standard is usually characterized by interactions between local friends and strangers, Abby’s commitment to helping children in need of medical care has furthered that sentiment’s reach far beyond our state. Smile Train works in more than 90 countries to bring cleft palate care, including surgery, to children who need it.

Cleft palate is a birth defect that occurs when the upper lip and mouth form improperly during fetal development. The condition often leads to difficulties with speech and feeding, sometimes leading to social stigma. While severity varies, most cases can be corrected with an operation during childhood.

According to Smile Train, more than 1.5 million patients have received corrective surgery made possible through their programs. Continuing education opportunities for medical professionals are also part of the Smile Train’s outreach to make patient care more accessible, with support of regional healthcare infrastructure in both rural and urban areas throughout the world.

“I think it’s really important for students to know that you don’t have to raise a million dollars to make a difference,” said Abby. “It’s $250 to create an entire smile. I’ve also met the most amazing people in the group of student ambassadors who do this together from different states and countries. It doesn’t take you staying up all night and working all day. Just a little bit of heart and effort can help make a change.”

Abby’s awareness of Smile Train and the communities it serves started with a Scholastic-brand magazine in eighth grade at Brink Junior High. The social studies-themed publication often includes current events and stories about students in other countries. An article about a little boy in need of cleft palate surgery caught her attention and the story stayed with her through the spring semester.

Sunny Wenger, Abby’s mother, recalled hearing about her daughter’s interest in Smile Train and the short application process her daughter followed to get involved.

“I came home from work one day and she said ‘I called them at their home office in New York City,’” said Sunny. “She’s a go-getter and I’m not surprised something like that grabbed her heart.”

Abby herself underwent a life-changing surgery at OU Children’s Hospital in sixth grade to treat scoliosis. Within a week or two of reaching out, Abby had completed the interview process by phone and proceeded to get in touch with Smile Train staff and peers in the program.

While children benefit directly from the medical care offered through Smile Train, Abby feels the organization has provid-

ed life skills and provided a positive peer network to her in return.

“I’m not scared at all to share my passions. Before I was a little more hesitant but I have learned how to communicate with others and reach out,” explained Abby. “In addition to how to fundraise, I have learned a lot about the community.”

Fundraising has taken many forms, including donations following posts on social media. Hands-on efforts, though, have also proven extremely effective at both raising funds and giving Abby new ways to develop her skills. In 2019, for example, she brainstormed the logistics of a cookie decorating fundraiser hosted at her home during the holiday season. Abby organized the event during winter break, while Sunny volunteered to lead the cooking baking effort.

“My Mom is the world’s best baker and she stepped up to handle that part of it so the kids would have something to decorate,” said Abby. “It was a full day of cookie decorating madness for anyone who wanted to come.”

Sunny baked more than 400 cookies in response to the demand from friends, families and other members of the community.

“What bigger pain in life is there than your kids saying ‘We need to make cookies for Santa?’ As a parent, I saw it as a way to fill a need for families who are busy by having them come by our house and letting us take care of the mess,” Sunny said. “It was an event where they could stop by and get the decorating done but leave the mess somewhere else.”

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a shift in plans from an in-person event to a fundraiser adjusted to meet the need for social distancing this past December. Nonetheless, Abby engineered logistics to meet the demand for a fun, safe alternative: cookie decorating kits. She took pre-orders, sourced packaging and even figured out how to include information about Smile Train in each kit.

“Each cookie decorating kit had three icing colors and two sprinkle types with a dozen cookies and every kit had one train-shaped cookie,” Abby said, who bagged each cookie individually.

Porch pick-ups ensured safe handling and the pre-orders sold out. Abby raised more than $650 from this year’s holiday cookie sales.

Photography is also a hobby that has proven useful to raise funds. From family portraits to events, Abby donates sessions and provides edited photos, with all donations given in support of Smile Train.

Broadened horizons and lessons learned from Smile Train will doubtlessly influence Abby’s future. Working with women and children in a branch of the medical field is what she envisions for her career. She intends to continue supporting the nonprofit’s mission, too.

“My heart will always be with Smile Train. I will always be involved, whether that’s by making a donation made each and every year or through additional fundraising efforts,” said Abby.

Specific community events, including races and runs, a yoga-based option and other initiatives also help raise funds for Smile Train, in addition to other affiliate programs especially for college students, young professionals and an associate board that works closely with staff.

Sunny agrees that Smile Train has brought out the best in people: Abby, her supporters and others who have decided to donate.

“Oklahomans are known as givers. Abby is raising money alongside students from more densely populated areas but Oklahomans really connect and give,” she explained. “We have seen that Oklahoma Standard over and over again. They are good friends and neighbors. No matter what else Abby does in her life, she knows that people love and support her and consequently, they love and support anything she wants to do. She’ll carry that in her heart wherever she goes.”

Find more information about Smile Train at smiletrain.org and visit http://bit.ly/smiletrain_abby to donate through Abby’s student ambassador profile. -19SM