Bullying has been a consistent topic on many agendas and the reason is simple: it destroys the self-esteem of children. In some cases, it can lead them to a path of destruction. A 12-year-old boy from New Zealand named Evan Hill was constantly being bullied at school. The reason was his teeth. He was suffering from a severe case of buck teeth. Bullies at school would call him “rabbit kid.” His buck teeth were very severe. He had difficulties talking and couldn’t even close his mouth completely.
His story went viral when it was shown on the national television show Campbell Live. Seeing him suffer the way he did was heart-breaking for many viewers. Evan’s family needed about $12,000 to get their son the dental treatment that would fix this problem. The problem was they couldn’t afford such an operation. If they went ahead with it, they would need to mortgage their house. They were not a rich family by any means, but they were willing to do whatever was needed to help their son.
New Zealand does have free dental care available for children, but Evan didn’t qualify because of the nature of his condition. Fortunately, the television program they were on, set up a bank account for the family. This would be a fundraiser to get Evan his much-needed surgery. The program invited viewers to contribute whatever amount they could so that Evan could finally get his perfect smile.
New Zealanders all around responded wonderfully. Their generosity has given Evan and his family some hope again. It has been five long years of treatments since the show was aired and the fundraising gave Evan his new chance at life. I am happy to report that he no longer suffers from severe buck teeth issues.
The only thing Evan needed was to wear braces for an extended period. This was the main reason the orthodontist could correct the buck teeth. There were a lot of monthly visits that Evan needed to attend. When the final doctor’s final visit came, Evan could finally see his smile without braces on.
The orthodontist, Ronald Sluiter, did excellent work on Evan’s teeth. They were moved around 15 millimeters, which is a little more than half an inch. When asked how did he feel about his patient’s progress, the orthodontist says: “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we? It’s about time.” Evan and his mother Barbara were thrilled and grateful for the great generosity that they’ve received. Check the video to see the results!
