A little boy battling cancer is all smiles when it comes to his dream of being a dentist. Thanks to Crest and the A Special Wish Foundation, he's getting to live that dream.
On New Year's Eve 2018, Alex Carico was living in Las Vegas with his parents, Michael and Bill. He'd had an incident at school where he hit his stomach on a lunch table and fell down. When the pain didn't subside, Michael and Bill took Alex to the doctor. An MRI revealed a tumor in the little boy's stomach.
The tumor was precariously placing pressure on Alex's vital organs. He was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma and given a 28% chance of survival. His fast-acting parents dropped everything and relocated to North Ridgeville, Ohio, for Alex to get treatment.
"I couldn't even walk that much, I couldn't even leave my room," Alex told News 5 Cleveland.
Alex beat the odds in a big way. About two years later, the 8-year-old is cancer-free after months of rigorous chemotherapy and stem cell treatment. He's looking forward to his future — and his dream of becoming a dentist.
"I want to make everyone have a beautiful smile," Alex said. "Smiles bring hope to the world."
"From a young age, Alex always wanted to be a dentist. He said that if he can smile all the time, there's no reason why others can't do the same," Michael told Crest.
Alex got to be dentist for a day thanks to Crest's "12 Days of Smiles" campaign. The company is making 12 wishes come true this holiday season, and Alex's was first up. He was brought to a dentist's office, dressed up in lab garb, and sent in to meet his first patient. It was none other than Santa Claus.
"We're so thrilled Crest reached out to make Alex's holiday dreams come true with a special dental check-up with Santa," Michael said of the surprise.
Alex told Santa that all those cookies every Christmas are catching up with him. "He had a lot of cavities," Alex revealed to News 5.
Thankfully, Alex told him the secret to turning it all around. "Brush twice daily," he urged.
He also had an idea for everyone who leaves treats out for Santa. "Maybe what everyone should do is put toothpaste and a toothbrush right by the cookies and the milk so that he can brush afterwards when he eats it," Alex suggested.
"At Crest we believe in the power of a smile, but know that for many it's not so simple — especially during the holidays,” said Carlos Quintero, Procter & Gamble vice president and Crest NA senior brand director.
"That's why we're committed to unleashing healthier and happier smiles, and as the official toothpaste of Santa, we can't think of a better way to celebrate this holiday season than to grant these special Smile Wishes to Alex and so many others."
