Planting the Seeds of Smiles: Donor Sue Hoover on Her Legacy Gift Intention

Sue Hoover has a garden to tend to.

But before heading out to her beloved flowers and vegetables, she has graciously set aside a half-hour to talk about her first passion: helping others.

“This is what I decided to devote my life to,” she says, calling from her home in the mountains of Colorado.

Sue fires off a list of causes she’s active with. She supports children suffering from food insecurity and starvation. She gives to foster-parent organizations. She sews quilts for a children’s hospital, and volunteers as a cook at her local soup kitchen.

“Above my bed, I have the word ‘Gratitude,’” she says. “I can’t believe how my life turned out. I had a great career, and I’ve been retired since 2013. I love my life, and I just want to give back.”

In 2010, Sue discovered Smile Train. She quickly realized that high-quality, sustainable cleft care was a powerful way to transform lives for the better.

“I started out by sponsoring a child every year when I got my tax return,” she says.

“I thought, you can donate to feed a child, but then after a year, what’s going to happen? Through Smile Train, with the same amount of money, I realized I could save a child’s life and give them some hope for their future.”

Now Sue is “all in on Smile Train,” and it has become her “number-one donation.” In addition to her generous giving each year, she has designated a Legacy of Smiles gift to Smile Train in her will, ensuring that she will continue to change children’s lives for generations to come.

“The beauty of Smile Train is — the funds are going to train local doctors to be able to give care,” she says. “Every penny of the money we donate is used in all the right ways.

“I saw it,” she adds. “It was magnificent.”

In February, Sue took part in a Journey of Smiles trip to Guatemala. She spent four days meeting with patients, families, and local medical teams, witnessing the profound difference her gifts are making each day.

“It transformed my life,” she says. “I learned so much. I didn’t even understand how extensive cleft care is until I went on the Journey of Smiles.

“I got to meet 30 or 40 children, spend time with them. We hugged, we played. You should see the look in their mothers’ eyes, their fathers’ eyes.”

For Sue, her Journey of Smiles deepened her commitment to supporting safe, holistic cleft care, and making sure it stays 100% free for families in need.

“I feel like I’m dedicating myself to these children,” she reflects. “If your donation can change one life forever and give a young child hope, that’s incredible.”