CODE:SMiLE

What is CODE:SMiLE

CODE:SMiLE is a nonprofit organization established to help facilitate healthy dialogue and character building skills in young adults. Dr. Demko believes true beauty radiates from within, and the most beautiful smiles begin from the inside. Our goal is to collaborate with inspirational mentors, parents and young adults to bring awareness that uniqueness and personal struggles, if harnessed properly can lead to our greatest leaders.

The History

Middle school and early high school years were difficult for Dr Demko. Like many teens, she overcame hurdles with a learning disability, weight issues, peer pressure, and bullies. Through them all, her father(also an orthodontists) worked to instill particular values of strength and confidence. All the inspirational things he would say were backed up with true stories of visiting similar struggles.

Once in private practice, at times Dr Demko would share her own personal teen struggles with families visiting the practice. Patients seemed to find inspiration to more comfortably handle their own struggles or hurdles. Parents appreciated the candor and effort to help their kids get more than just a pretty smile out of their time in treatment. The reaction of the families illustrated a void in the helpful exposure to inspirational mentors. Being busy, yet wanting to help fill the void prompted the structure for the first event. Desiring to impact others the way she had been by hearing others stories, the first CODE: SMiLE event was held April 15, 2008. The public and families of her practice were invited to hear the stories of three local celebrities (McGraw Milhaven, Heather Hawk and David Vabora.)

After the first event, Demko Orthodontics was contacted by Bronx Diba Shoes wanting to donate to her cause. Dr Demko’s dreams have grown from that call…what if we were able to bring in more speakers and host more events for the public and touch more lives? What if a platform was available to simulate what Dr Demko felt was a key factor for her own accomplishments. Gaining their 1095? CODE:SMiLE acquired its nonprofit status in 2009 as an attempt to recreate the gifts given to Dr Demko by her loving father and many mentors.

Next

CODE:SMiLE is actively looking for more partnerships and planning more events to bring self-esteem and smiles around the St. Louis metro area and eventually worldwide. The more Dr. Demko can do to help, and hopefully recruit others to share in her passion, the more meaningful differences she will make in the lives of children. In addition to funding the Hummer transportation program, Demko Orthodontics has already donated more than ten thousand dollars in treatments to CODE:SMiLE.

Donations to CODE:SMiLE can be made by contacting Dr. Demko’s office at 314.576.4955.