Going to school can be a nightmare for a lot of kids, and it’s not because they don’t enjoy learning. Sadly, many students have to endure being picked on and harassed by their peers. But while any child can become the victim of bullying – some seem to be even easier targets.
A 12-year-old New Zealand boy named Evan Hill is one of those kids who had it rough.
He was constantly being bullied because he was suffering from a severe case of buck teeth. Bullies at school gave him the nickname “rabbit kid” or called him a bunny rabbit.
His buck teeth were so severe, in fact, that he had difficulties talking and couldn’t even close his mouth.
Thanks to the generosity of other New Zealanders, Evan finally got the smile he always dreamed of.
His story was told on the national television show Campbell Live, and the story struck a chord with many viewers. Evan’s family needed about $12,000 for the dental treatment that would remove his buck teeth, but they couldn’t afford such an operation and would have to mortgage their house for it.
Even though there is free dental care in New Zealand for children, Evan didn’t qualify because of the nature of his condition.
Luckily, the television program set up a bank account for the family by means of a fundraiser. Viewers were invited to contribute an amount so that Evan could finally get his perfect smile.
Amazingly, the viewers of the program raised over a hundred thousand dollars!
The wonderful generosity of the New Zealanders had given Evan and his family some hope again. Now, after five long years since Evan had gone public with his story, he finally finished all the treatments and no longer suffers from his severe buck teeth issues.
Evan had to wear braces for an extended period, which is why the orthodontist was only able to correct the buck teeth recently. He had been making monthly visits to the doctor and the final visit finally came where Evan was freed of his braces and was proud to smile.
The orthodontist, Ronald Sluiter, had to move his teeth around 15 millimeters, which is just over half an inch.
“We’ve come a long way haven’t we,” the orthodontist said. “It’s about time.”
Evan and his mother Barbara couldn’t be happier with the immense generosity that they’ve received from their fellow New Zealanders.
“I don’t know where we would have been today without the generosity we had,” Barbara said to Newshub. “We looked at probably mortgaging our house to pay for them but this came up and blew me away.”
Evan’s procedure only cost around 12,000 dollars, but the rest of the donated money has been given to a trust for other children in urgent need of expensive dental procedures.
Evan’s mom is extremely happy to see that their story has provided the opportunity to help other children in need.
After so many years of being bullied, hopefully, Evan has more confidence with his new smile and can enjoy going to school. And all of it was made possible thanks to the kindness of strangers.
Watch the video below to see more on this unforgettable story!
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