Our July No Barriers Story features Leo Giaudrone, a Reach scholarship recipient, who recently joined us at our No Barriers Summit in Tahoe. At 13 years old, Leo is a powerful example of an alchemist, someone who has learned to harness his challenges and use them as a force for good.
Leo has endured over 30 surgeries, chemo treatments and countless hospital stays in his short 13 years of life. He had a Renal Transplant, is a Stage III Hepatoblastoma (liver cancer) survivor, is a Hypoxic Brain Injury Survivor, and has had right hip reconstruction surgery. He also had a successful kidney transplant in 2009 (from his mom), and is now ten years cancer-free.
At only ten years old, Leo decided to create “The Happiness Company” with the mission to “change the world one smile at a time.” Through social media, he shares his story and encourages others to break through their own barriers to find joy. As Leo says, his company is “trading in the free exchange of kindness.”
Leo also gives regular talks to schools where he shares ideas on how to spread joy in simple ways like giving out free hugs, and reaching out to others to see how they’re doing. He shares positive stories of people making a difference; people like his friend Danny in Belize who arranges fun games for people in his community to pick up trash and keep the streets clean. He also recruits “Happiness Helpers,” folks who embody a similar positive mindset and are committed to share happiness with others. He even recruited professional wrestler and actor, John Cena!
With adversity stacked against him, it would be so easy for Leo to sink into unhappiness or bitterness; instead he channels his setbacks into joy.
His happiness company continues to grow in size with a goal of 7 million Happiness Helpers – he is now up to 3,500 people! He is always looking for more helpers to spread the message of positivity and hope. Follow his page on Facebook and Instagram to sign up as a Happiness Helper and check out this video of news coverage of his cause.
