People who face serious situations early in life often wind up stronger in the long run, and that’s certainly the case for a very special boy named Daniel.
Videos by InspireMore
Daniel’s parents, Kenny and Jasmine Czarnecki, fell in love while they were both serving in the United States Marine Corps. They’re now living a civilian life in New Jersey, where Jasmine is involved with Smile Train, an organization that provides support and medical resources for people born with clefts around the world.
At Jasmine’s 21-week ultrasound, doctors detected a cleft in Daniel’s upper lip. The couple was terrified, but the moment they set eyes on their baby boy, all of their fears melted away.
“I thought he was perfect,” said proud dad Kenny. “Once he was born, that’s just how he looked.”
Clefts can make eating and drinking difficult, and Daniel’s parents worried that he’d be teased by his peers because of his birth difference, so they scheduled his cleft surgery as soon as they could. When he was three months old, Daniel’s cleft was healed, revealing a brilliant smile that perfectly matches his big personality.
“He just captivates a room and any audience,” said Jasmine. “It’s just his unwavering confidence.”
Through Jasmine’s volunteer work with Smile Train, she found community and new purpose in helping other families with clefts. When the Sing Me a Story Foundation reached out to Smile Train for children to feature, the organization and InspireMore, their 2022 partners, nominated Daniel!
Sing Me a Story Foundation utilizes a huge network of professional artists who turn children’s stories into songs. They selected Daniel, and the child got to work penning an original book called “King Daniel and Doody McDoody.”
The story is an epic tale about two kings, and Daniel cast himself in the starring role. Sing Me a Story tapped country stars Hayes Carll and Brent Cobb to turn the story into a ballad worthy of, well, a king!
“I loved, in Daniel’s story, just how descriptive he was,” said Brent. “You know, you always hear about a fire-breathing dragon, but you never hear about a laser-eyed dragon.”
“I loved the details in the story and the emphasis on King Daniel being a good king and being fair,” said Hayes. “The world can be a rough place, but you can bring your positivity to it, and you can bring your creations to it and make it a better place.”
When the aptly-titled song, “King Daniel,” was finished, Daniel and his family traveled to New York City to see Brent and Hayes perform it. Daniel gave it a rating of “10 out of 10!”
With a major obstacle overcome, Daniel is ready to take on the world with his creativity and confidence. We are thrilled to see him thriving and making beautiful art with help from his global friends and partners at Smile Train and Sing Me a Story Foundation.
Watch the video below to listen to “King Daniel,” and don’t forget to share. You can also learn more about Smile Train here!
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