| Retreat Photos
| Developing deep friendships  |
Learning corrective cosmetics
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| Mission Statement |
Angel Faces is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide healing retreats and ongoing support designed to inspire adolescent girls with severe facial disfigurements to achieve their optimum potential and develop meaningful relationships for themselves, their families and their communities.
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| A note from Lesia Cartelli, Founder and Director | | Dear
Friend: 
Our seventh retreat is approaching come
June and there is excitement throughout our office. Over 70% of the girls attending have
injuries from burns over 65% of their body.
Reading the girls' applications is both heartbreaking and inspiring at
the same time. Some of the girls have
lost a parent or sibling in the accident.
They suffer in silence through
the loss, endure many medical procedures, and now fumble with the staring and
teasing and rejection of their peers. They
wonder if a boy will ever like them.
They worry about getting into college or finding a job. Our hearts are open and our team is in place,
ready to teach, guide or simply listen to the girls. We can hardly wait to see them learn and grow
during the week they spend with us.
All of the girls who apply touch my
heart. They are so brave and strong. One girl attending was burned in a race car accident. Yes, you read right - she's a race car driver
at just 15 years old! When I asked her
if she would please share her story, she wrote the following:
Hello, my name is Harli Mishel White. I was burned at the
age of 12. I suffered deep third degree burns to about 40% of my body. I got
burned on April 5, 2008 at i-44 speedway, in Newcastle, OK; I was racing a
600cc micro minisprint for my first time. I was looking forward to that day. I was so excited to be living my dream, and
racing like my dad (Charlie White). I
had flipped in the b main in restricted class in my mini sprint. I was trapped in my race car for a few
minutes, longer than what should have been, while my dad and others tried to
free me from the burning race car that burst into flames instantly. One reason why I couldn't get out of the car
was because my steering wheel melted; therefore it would not budge leaving me
no room to escape. Finally, I got free
from the burning car, and pulled to safety.
I was rushed to the hospital in Oklahoma City, OK, then from there,
medi-flighted to Shriners Burn Center in Texas. I spent about 21 days in the
hospital, and 3 months in therapy at the hospital to recover. Since
that day I have been racing mini sprints, successfully for the past year now. I love racing, and my biggest dream ever is
to go professional. Most people ask me
if it scares me any, and no, it doesn't one bit, I love going fast and racing
cars! I hope to be racing for the rest
of my life. Yes, I have scars, lots and
lots of them, but that doesn't bother me at all. Recently my mom told me about Angel Faces;
she only told me a little bit about it, and without hesitation I said yes, I
really want to go. I'm so excited to
have this opportunity. I think Angel
Faces will be a really good program for me, and for the other girls, because
hopefully I can help them in ways, and they can help me in ways. Having facial burns, or any other type, can
be really difficult sometimes, and frustrating, and it can be very hard on you.
Isn't Harli amazing? I admire her courageous spirit and dream to
go professional racing cars! As she
mentions, she will help the other girls that attend, and they will help
her. Girls coming together. This is one of the great things about the
Angel Faces program. She will have the
opportunity to bond and develop deep friendships, participate in role-playing
sessions for handling awkward staring, and learn how to apply corrective
cosmetics in addition to other program sessions in a holistic framework.
I am anticipating watching the girls make
positive changes in their outlook and self-esteem over the course of the week at
the retreat.
Thank you for your support, which helps us continue
to make a difference in the lives of these girls.
With deep gratitude,
Lesia Cartelli
Founder and Director
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