Throughout my life I have been presented with many opportunities and have found the courage to embrace the challenges. Nothing has been more fulfilling than being crowned Miss Teen International^® and having the opportunity to see a dream become reality and to move ahead in life knowing that impossible is really only something possible that hasn’t been done yet. God has been so gracious to bestow this opportunity upon me.

After being hospitalized at the age of ten – receiving over forty stitches in my face, I realized how fortunate I was to have loved ones by my side the entire time that were able to be there and comfort me. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the billions of other children who go through terribly frightening periods of hospitalization all alone.

Josh Cares is an organization designed to benefit children who are going through a terrifying experience. They are fortunate enough to benefit from the incredible technology and facilities, and are assured of top rate medical care providing them with the best chance of recovery. But, if they feel abandoned and alone in their greatest time of need, their chances of recovery are diminished and they may face long-term social and emotional issues.

The Josh Cares organization provides caregivers who will be with those children when their families cannot. They will be a familiar face to help fill the lonely hours, read and play games, talk to them about anything, and let them know they are cared for and that they are special.

There are many wonderful charities that provide gifts and tangible items to the children, but sometimes what children need most is the undivided attention of someone who makes them feel special.

After these children are released as outpatients from the hospital, a lot of the time the children and their families must reside in a nearby Ronald McDonald House. The worldwide Ronald McDonald House Charities provide a “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. More than ten million families around the globe have benefited from the comfort provided by a Ronald McDonald House.