A Journey to Remember for Jeannie Mai

It has been an inspiring year for Emmy-winning TV host, producer, and Smile Train Ambassador Jeannie Mai.

Not only did she emcee Smile Train’s star-studded 25th Anniversary Gala in Manhattan, she also took part in her first Journey of Smiles, travelling to Vietnam to spend time with Smile Train patients, their families, and the medical team at Hanoi National Children’s Hospital, one of our local partners.

“This trip was profoundly significant”, says Jeannie, who brought along her two-year-old daughter, Monaco.

A Journey of Smiles is a chance to see Smile Train’s life-changing work up close. Each trip takes participants to meet some of the patients, families, and local medical teams who benefit from their support.

For Jeannie, it was a deeply personal experience.

“I’m intimately connected to Smile Train’s cause because I’ve seen the challenges of a cleft impact my own family’s life”, shares Jeannie, who was nine years old when a close relative was born with a cleft.

“Understanding the critical difference that expert care can make, I’m deeply committed to their cause of creating smiles and changing lives”.

During her trip, Jeannie spent extended time with the family of three-month-old Khoi, listening to their perspectives and accompanying them in the days before and after he received cleft lip surgery.

Jeannie’s Journey of Smiles was extra special for another reason: It was Monaco’s first trip to Vietnam, where Jeannie’s parents are from.

“I watched Monaco take her first steps into the world of empathy. With gentle steps, Monaco reached out and wrapped each child in a warm hug before their surgeries.

“I’m reminded that sometimes, it’s the youngest amongst us that show us courage and kindness.