Restore MaryBelle's Smile: A Call for Help

Help Bring Back My Mom’s Smile – A Tribute to MaryBelle

Hello,

My name is Alex Rey Cardona, a longtime healthcare professional based in Orlando, FL. For over 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving seniors, friends, and families from all walks of life. I moved here in 2003 from Carlsbad, NM, and have called the healthcare community my home ever since.

Today, I find myself in unfamiliar territory—asking for help—not for me, but for someone who has spent her entire life helping others: my mother, MaryBelle.

If you know me, you know I’m a proud momma’s boy. My mother raised me as a single parent, while also caring for my grandparents until their final days. When they passed, I asked her to move to Orlando so we could be together and have family close by.

Since her move, life has thrown challenge after challenge her way. Most recently, she endured the heartbreaking loss of her last surviving parent and our beloved dog Charlie, her emotional support companion. Through it all—especially during the height of COVID—she never stopped giving her all. She worked tirelessly, eventually finding a second family with the kind and generous folks at Rosemont Specialty Pharmacy, where she found support, purpose, and community.

If you’ve ever met MaryBelle, you haven’t forgotten her smile, her warmth, and her incredible work ethic. She is the kind of woman who would sacrifice sleep, comfort, and even her health if it meant helping someone else. Her love is boundless. Her strength is legendary. Her kitchen always open, her food unforgettable, and her heart immeasurable.

Today, she needs our help.

My mother has struggled with dental issues for years, and her dental bridge—replacing her top front teeth—has finally broken. After consulting a cosmetic dental specialist, the cost to restore her smile with a permanent solution is over $18,000—a figure far beyond what we can manage right now.

Her smile has always been her signature, her light. Without it, I see her dimming. She’s withdrawn, self-conscious, and hesitant to even speak. Eating is painful. Laughing is rare. I’ve never seen her like this—and it breaks my heart.

This woman, who has always found a way to make things work, who has always lifted everyone around her—needs us now.

If the name MaryBelle has ever crossed your path, you know how special she is. You might know her by her laughter, her legendary Mexican cooking, or the open arms she welcomes everyone with. She’s never let anyone go without a warm meal or a warm place to stay.

Now, I humbly ask—can we come together to help give her the confidence, comfort, and joy she so greatly deserves? Whether it’s $5, $50, or simply sharing this story, every act of support brings us closer to restoring something priceless: her smile.

And just between us… please don’t tell her about this fundraiser. She’s far too humble to accept help without a bit of resistance. (I’m trying to keep my head attached, LOL.)

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, for sharing, for giving—whatever you’re able to do. You’re not just helping fix teeth—you’re restoring joy, dignity, and the power of a smile that has lit up so many lives.

With deepest gratitude,

Alex Rey Cardona