13 year-old gets job at Tim Horton's to pay for her own Braces

Meet Joanna.

When she was 13 years old, Joanna saw an orthodontist and was told that it would cost approximately $6000 to fix her smile. She lives with her father whose insurance coverage did not cover any orthodontic work. At this point in time, many teenagers would have pleaded with their parents to pay for her treatment.

Not Joanna...at the age of 13 Joanna took it upon herself to find a part-time job at the local Tim Horton's so she could fix her smile. She would work after school and on weekends. During the summer, she would even work the night shift at the drive-thru window.

I met Joanna just before her 16th Birthday. One of our staff members was familiar with her family and knew of her story. She sat in the dental chair for her cleaning and then said, "Dr Mistry, I have saved $3000. Is that enough to start my braces". Although I am not an orthodontic specialist, our office does a large amount of orthodontic work. We developed a treatment plan for Joanna at a deeply discounted price and proceeded to start her orthodontic treatment.

Each time Joanna comes into the office her smile grows wider and brighter. She says she is no longer embarrassed of her smile and never hides her gratitude. She often brings coffee and treats to the office for our staff. In 8 months she has made significant progress in reshaping her smile and we are proud to share her story.

Joanna is still is a staple at the local Tim Horton's when she's not at school as she saves for her post secondary education.

Joanna's progress in 8 months