Saving Selby's Smile: Paying for Surgery with Hot Chocolate

WOODSBORO, MD - It's a story of friendship and courage.

"Mom, can you get a picture of us?" yelled Jeremy Medeiros, a third grader.

A third grader who had the guts to tell a doctor "no," to save his best friend's smile.

"He's my Matthew, he's just my Matthew," says Jeremy.

Matthew Selby needs a third reconstructive surgery after a tumor was removed from his jaw; but it's been delayed weeks because his parents were blind-sighted when insurance said they need to pay $6,000 first.

So Jeremy decided to help his friend by offering a cup of this for donations. His first hot cocoa stand raised more than $1,200.

"He's just the sweetest kid, and I was at my lowest of lows. When Sherrie called and said Jeremy wants to do this, I finally thought okay, maybe; maybe this will all work out okay," says Angela Frazier, Matthew Selby's Mother.

In one week, Jeremy and his mother fund-raised more than $3,600.

"We couldn't believe how many people actually showed up to support the family and then just passersby that was so willing to give them their money as soon as they saw it was for a child, and to save his smile," says Sherrie Medeiros, Jeremy's Mother.

Matthew says over and over again that he will repay this debt to his friend.

"I'm thankful, I'm faithful that he's doing all this for me. I just want to give him something that will repay for what he's doing for me," says Matthew Selby, a fourth grader.

But for now, Matthew is looking forward to getting off his soft-food diet.

"I really want to get into that gum because I can't have it," adds Matthew.

And playing baseball with his best friend.

Both families say they're so touched by the community coming together and say these are invaluable lessons for their children.

Click here to see the surgery fund-raising Facebook page.