John Radar

Sergeant Rader has dedicated his life to serving his community and country. Born to two blind parents, he has spent countless hours volunteering with the blind community in Covington, Kentucky. He then joined the National Guard to continue his life of service, and served for thirteen years with two overseas deployments. In March of 2020, he was called upon to help our country fight the COVID-19 pandemic by serving on the Army’s COVID-19 task force. During his time on the task force, his unit’s tasks included disinfecting nursing homes, administering Covid-19 tests, and setting up and running testing sites. Despite his devotion to others, he has already felt insecure about his smile. His wife Erin explains, “Johnny lights up every room he enters, but he rarely smiles with an open mouth because he’s ashamed of his teeth. He has the most beautiful heart of anyone I have ever met. He just needs the beautiful smile to go with it.

Francisco Monreal

Francisco Monreal, from Marietta, has been a patient of Georgia Smiles since 2013. We have watched him grow into the hero he has become today by being a firefighter for Cobb County Fire. He has been such a hero for us and the community while working in the front line during the pandemic. He always has a smile every time he comes into our dental office, what a better opportunity than to have a better smile when he comes in.

Yasmin Chavez

Yasmin who resides in Buford was nominated by her husband who calls his wife a hero. She currently is a frontline worker, a Certified Nursing Assistant and caregiver at The Oaks at Hampton in Cumming, GA. Going to school while being a wife and mom of a three-year old takes courage, but she wants to continue in the medical profession and is attending Altierus Career College in Surgical Technology. She never gives up and is working hard to achieve the goals & dreams for her and her family!

Tony Hughes

Romaldo “Tony” Hughes – Tony is a Dekalb County police officer who lives in Ellenwood. Not only has he served as a police officer for over twenty years, but he also supports his community. Tony has spent his free time and personal money mentoring youth and providing life coaching for adults. In addition, he has had to postpone his orthodontic treatment to fund his daughter’s college education. Tony is excited for his new smile, which he says will enhance his self-esteem as he remains on the front lines serving his community.

Kathryn Hanson

Kathryn Hanson – Kathryn, who resides in Buford, has spent the majority of her child and adult life caring for others. She served as her mother’s caretaker from the age of fifteen, sacrificing her young adult life to support her family. Her life is about giving back to her community – she has cared for and tutored young children, serves as her church’s soprano singer, and volunteers are various community organizations. She currently runs her own delivery business and is working on her bookkeeping certification. She has been self-conscious about her smile since youth, and her friends who nominated her believe that the gift of a new smile will be an amazing asset to her.

Isabel Nogues

Isabel Nogues – Isabel, who lives in Flowery Branch, has served her community during the pandemic by working as an EKG Technician and Urgent Care Assistant. Her mother, who nominated Isabel, explains that she is a kind and compassionate person who pulls extra hours every week to help with the surge in COVID-19 cases. She was supposed to receive orthodontic treatment at the age of twelve, but financial circumstances prevented her from moving forward with her care. She is thrilled to receive the gift of a new smile from GSO.

Ashika Payne

Ashika Payne – Ashika is a teacher who resides in the East Point suburb of Atlanta. She works as a fourth-grade teacher at Gideons Elementary, and has worked with youth for over twenty-five years. Before serving as a teacher, she was Program Director at the Douglas County Boys and Girls Club. She has dedicated her life to helping her students, and is so grateful for the opportunity to have her teeth straightened.

Alisha McGlawn

We are excited to announce GSO’s March Gift of a Smile Heroes winner! Congratulations to Education Consultant, Alisha McGlawn. Alisha is an everyday Wonder Woman, mother of two wonderful boys, an educator, a parent/child advocate, and a budding entrepreneur who’s sense of community and fellowship is a true gift to all those she encounters! We are honored to provide her with the gift of a confident new smile!

Takisha Allen

We are excited to announce GSO’s July Gift of a Smile Heroes winner! Congratulations to Tashika Allen! Tashika was nominated by her daughter Keyana who calls her mom her personal hero who does what she can for anyone, whether she knows them or not. A survivor, Tashika has overcome many obstacles in her life all while putting her family first. We are honored to provide Tashika with the healthy, confident smile she deserves!

Vincent Gioielli

We are excited to announce GSO’s September Gift of a Smile Heroes winner! Congratulations to U.S. Army Veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Vincent Gioielli! Vincent, a resident of Georgia, was medically retired from service in the U.S Army after getting wounded in Afghanistan leading a mission, spending 17 months in treatment, and being awarded the Purple Heart medal. Transitioning combat veterans have a long road to recovery in the transition from military service to becoming a civilian, which holistically includes all aspects of physical and mental health. A sense of belonging and transitioning into becoming a vital part of the community is an important part of the process, to which includes a healthy smile. We are honored to provide Vincent with the gift of a confident new smile. Congratulations Vincent, and thank you for your service and for being a hero!

Jennifer Deaton

We are excited to announce GSO's December Gift of a Smile Heroes Winner! Congratulations to Jennifer Deaton! Jennifer is a mother, friend, and elementary principal at Sugar Hill Academy of Talent & Career in Gainesville. She has worked in the Hall County School system for 27 years, and it is her mission to improve the lives of her students. When COVID-19 hit Georgia, Jennifer continued to serve the community despite losing her son to the virus. Knowing that many students got their main meal of the day at school, she rode the buses to deliver meals to her students' bus stops during the lockdown. “Just being able to see faces and hear voices so I can know where everybody was emotionally was important,” said Jennifer. “I say compassion before curriculum first, and then we’ll tweak the curriculum for next year.” She persisted through the hardest parts of the pandemic, and made sure that her students were still learning and taken care of. Jennifer has been giving smiles to her students for almost three decades, and we think she deserves to get a new smile of her own!

Stephen McDowell

Congratulations to our quarterly Gift of a Smile Heroes winner Stephen McDowell! Stephen served in the US Military for 13 years and retired in 2008 with the rank of E6 Staff Sergeant. Stephen has three children: Dylan, 17, Bella 13, and Jay 7. His hobbies include coaching his youngest son’s baseball team and his daughter’s softball team. When he’s not coaching, Stephen also enjoys archery hunting. A hero for his service to our country, Stephen lists his father as his personal hero for instilling in him at a young age that when you work hard anything is possible.

Amber Walden-Fall

Congratulations to our quarterly Gift of a Smile Heroes winner Amber Walden-Fall! Amber is a mother of four who is in the middle of transitioning from victim to survivor of domestic violence which has taken a toll on her confidence in many sectors of her life. She is hoping that the Gift of a Smile will help her garner more confidence and enable her to reach out for bigger and better opportunities that will change the trajectory of her family’s future. Amber stages airbnb’s and drafts landscapes, her hobbies include cooking, singing, designing, and all things equestrian. Her goal is to one day open up an Equestrian airbnb. We commend Amber’s bravery for sharing her story and are honored to provide her with a confident, healthy smile.

Mayra Vega-Armstrong

We are excited to announce GSO’s quarterly Gift of a Smile Heroes winner! Congratulations to Mayra Vega-Armstrong. Mayra was nominated by her son, Lucas, who is a patient at GSO and submitted this heartfelt nomination below. “Let me share an inspiring story about my incredible mother, Mayra Armstrong. She is a beacon of love and selflessness, especially as a mother of three. Her journey to America was marked by determination and a strong will to succeed. Notably, she mastered the English language so beautifully that it’s nearly impossible to discern her non-native roots. Over the years her teeth have faced significant challenges. In a quest to improve her smile, she fell victim to misleading online promises and enrolled in a program with Byte. Unfortunately, their system not only failed to deliver on its claims but also exacerbated her dental issues, causing her immense pain. She had no choice but to discontinue the program, leaving her heartbroken. My mother wears many hats - she’s an advocate, juggles two jobs, extends a helping hand to those in need within her community, and even carries backpacks filled with essentials for the homeless, distributing them with love and compassion. She is the essence of our family’s soul, always putting others before herself.” Congratulations to Mayra! You are truly an every day Hero!