On Sept 15th 2007 (the same day as my birthday) my three year old son Malik, had an accident. He went in his sister’s room and opened her closet door. As he opened the door, the closet fell on his head. It knocked his top front teeth down his throat and he swallowed them. At the time, I had no idea how serious his injuries were. I was laying in bed resting. I was almost four months pregnant. Ironically, all that week I was watching TLC true stories of survival. In retrospect, I believe I was being prepared for what was to come. I heard my daughter scream. She yelled “Mom, he is bleeding!” I knew it would be bad news. I jumped up and ran down the short hall way. My son was standing at the other end - the front of his yellow Sponge Bob pjs soaked in blood. When I got to him, my first instinct was to take him over the sink and flush his mouth out with cold water. Each time I flushed his mouth, the blood seemed to only get darker. I decided to stop and look. I turned the water off and leaned a bit forward to look at what I thought was a bust lip. But before I could see or figure out what was going on, his lip started to shoot blood straight towards the wall. I immediately put my hand over his mouth and applied pressure, I screamed for my husband to get me a towel. When he brought it I pressed it against his mouth and told the kids to put their shoes on because we had to get him to a hospital “immediately.”

We ran out of the house half dressed and drove to the hospital - running red lights and driving around cars. I needed to get him to Children’s Hospital fast. We got there in about 5 to 10 minutes. The whole ride I spoke to him. He looked very sleepy as if he was going into shock. He let me know it hurt and I reassured him that everything would be fine. When we got to the hospital I held him in my arms. As soon as the doctors saw me enter the hospital and all the blood on our clothing they ran right up to me and took him out of my arms. I felt a sense of relief, knowing he was in good hands. I then broke down and all I could do was cry. They took him in for x-rays and I was not allowed to enter because I was pregnant. I couldn’t comfort him and let him know his mom was by his side - not even to hold his hand. I stood outside the door looking in, trying to figure out how this happened. it seemed just a few minutes ago we were in the kitchen dancing and celebrating my birthday. Maybe I should have held him tighter, kissed him longer, if I would have taken him in my room for a nap this would of never happened. I felt that I had failed him, not being able to kiss his boo-boo away the way I normally would. I blamed myself. As I stood there I noticed his chest rise high up, then sink deep down. He did it a few times and a gang of doctors rushed in to help. They pumped his chest and wheeled him in the trauma room. That’s when I got the first real look at him without the towel: the right side of his mouth had been cut completely in half and he swallowed his top teeth so his top lip was in his mouth. They put two tubes down his throat, one to suction the blood out of his stomach and the other to help him breathe. The team of doctors worked long and hard. Then a nun came in and that’s when I realized things really didn’t look promising. All I could do is cry and pray that God would keep my angel safe. A doctor came over to me to update me on his condition. I zoned out a few times but I did hear him say that my son may never be the same again, that these types of injuries were very hard to come back from. He saw a split in his neck and feared he may not walk again. The longer we were there, the more bad news we received. They said he broke his jaw and every bone in his face, that there was a crack in his skull and that his spinal fluid (the fluid surrounding his brain) was running out of his nose. One of the doctors came up to me and reassured me that they were doing everything possible to get him through this and that’s all I really needed to hear. I thanked him. I was waiting to wake up from this nightmare but the longer I was there, the worse the news got. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I didn’t sleep or bathe in days. People told me that I needed to take care of myself and the baby in my stomach. I thought, "What baby?" I didn’t know this baby - I only knew the one laying in that hospital bed. My focus was him and only him at that point. I prayed and asked God to do his will. I never questioned Him or damned Him. I only put my child in His hands. I also promised Him that if only He could get us through this I would help others by giving back the way He helped me.

I called my family in Costa Rica and asked them to pray. I called my church, family and friends and asked them to join me in prayer as well. I told my friends to hold their children and kiss them because my baby was lying in a bed full of tubes and I could not hold him. I longed to hold him. Shortly after, he made a speedy recovery. The split in his neck was gone, the spinal fluid stopped leaking out of his nose and things seemed to be going well. One doctor said my son was a real medical miracle and I laughed and said “it was all God.” At the end I ended up losing my state job. I was unable to return to work and leave my son, I needed to be there for him, when he needed me the most. Recovery was long and hard but every day that passed every inch of progress brought us hope and encouragement.

He was unable to eat for a while, so every commercial and every food smell had my son in tears... the boy was HUNGRY. We finally did make it through and this motivated me to start a nonprofit organization. I had been doing hair for over 12 years, specializing in non-surgical hair replacement, extensions and medical cranial prosthesis applications. I wanted to know how I could incorporate my gift and share it with others. I remember that the highlight of the day for my son was going down to see the beautiful fish tank at Children’s Hospital. I wanted to know what I, as a parent, could do to help other parents. I already had experience working with clients who had little to no hair and also had clients who had survived cancer and I have had my own scares so I was familiar with the need for privacy in regards to hair replacement services.

I incorporated those talents and formed a group called Charmed Boston at the beginning of 2008. Charmed Boston is dedicated to helping people who are dealing with hair loss regain self-confidence. I became a Beacon Hospice volunteer, and most recently signed on to be a volunteer with the American Cancer Society. To bring forth my Charmed vision I shared my mission with others In the hopes of gaining advice and direction. I went out searching for a small personal office and set up my own salon in the heart of Boston (NV MY HAIR INC., 231 Newbury Street 2ND Floor Boston MA 02116.) My mission is to empower and encourage families by providing them with hope, self esteem and motivation to take control of their lives and to let them know they are not alone and that they are still beautiful.

I realize that everything happens for a reason, and my little guy taught me the importance of loving, sharing and caring and that’s what my mission is, to share, love and live. Through sharing we can help encourage and empower some one else.

A few months later, after seeing how passionate and involved I became with my vision my kids decided they were going to start their own project and raise money for Children’s Hospital. They came up with a fundraising idea to give back to Children’s Hospital for helping to save their brother's life. They wrote a letter asking for assistance, set up a lemonade stand and raised $1000 dollars. They reached out to local stores and city councils who also donated. They reached their goal. I am very proud of them.