Giving Back: The First-of-Its-Kind Trauma-Informed Academy Changing Lives Worldwide

https://acontagioussmile.mn.co/

They say pain changes people. I believe it refines them.

I never aimed to build a global academy. I simply wanted to ensure no one else ever felt as alone as I once did. After undergoing more than a hundred surgeries due to my ex-husband’s abuse, which all transpired throughout my pregnancy, and enduring long months in hospital rooms praying my daughter would survive, I learned something most people never have to face: surviving is only the beginning. Healing requires community, compassion, and access, not price tags.

This truth became the foundation for A Contagious Smile Academy, the world’s first trauma-informed, survivor-led, family-funded healing academy reaching individuals in over 15 countries. It’s more than education; it’s a revolution of empathy, where survivors, veterans, parents, and families can finally find a safe place to learn, rebuild, and heal without barriers.

Healing Should Never Come with a Price Tag

Too often, trauma recovery programs come with a cost that many can’t afford, both financially and emotionally. I know, because I’ve been there.

That’s when I made a promise: healing should never come with a price tag. We’ve already paid the ultimate price through the pain we endured. That’s why the majority of our courses within A Contagious Smile Academy are completely free or offered at the lowest cost possible (Under $5.00).

To make this sustainable, we created a survivor scholarship fund, entirely fueled by donations from compassionate hearts around the world. Every dollar goes directly toward helping someone begin again.

And here’s something I’m deeply proud of: I’ve never taken a paycheck. Not one. Every cent is poured back into helping others heal, because that’s what true giving back looks like.

The Moment Everything Changed

There were no handbooks for rebuilding a life after trauma. I searched everywhere for programs that I truly understood, but what I found felt clinical and detached. Which don’t get me wrong, works great for some people, just not for me. Survivors didn’t need to be studied; we needed to be seen and heard.

So, my husband, Michael Solomon, a veteran and former law enforcement officer, and I built what didn’t exist. We poured our savings, time, and hearts into creating a place where survivors, special-needs parents, veterans, and individuals in any type of recovery could come together to heal with dignity and understanding.

Today, A Contagious Smile Academy reaches people across the globe, offering over 130 trauma-informed courses that combine emotional healing with education and empowerment.

From One Survivor to Millions

Our Academy has touched so many lives. From a single promise, it’s grown into a movement that reminds people that their story isn’t over; it’s just beginning.

We’ve built specialized collections designed to meet people exactly where they are:

• Safe Haven Phoenix – for survivors of any form of abuse

• Valor Circle – for veterans and military families rebuilding their purpose

• Limitless Recovery Tribe – for individuals in recovery from any life challenge

• Stucco Squad – for children and families learning to laugh and feel safe again

Every lesson comes from lived experience. It’s not written from theory; it’s written from truth. And that’s why it works, because people can feel that it’s real.

97 percent of our participants say they felt “understood and more hopeful” after completing their very first course. For many, that’s the first time they’ve felt that way in years.

Global Recognition for a Grassroots Mission

What began in our office has become a movement recognized worldwide. A Contagious Smile Academy has received five international awards honoring our impact, innovation, and compassion:

• Best Trauma Recovery & Advocacy Program in the U.S. (EvergreenAwards.com)

• Best Support Network for Special Needs Families (Global Healing Coalition)

• Best Transformative Trauma Advocate (Insider Weekly)

• Best Breakthrough Crisis Response Platform for Families in Trauma

• Lifetime Humanitarian Achievement Award

These awards aren’t symbols of success; they’re reminders that empathy, honesty, and heart can change lives far beyond our own.

Education That Heals the Soul

Our lessons teach survivors to do more than survive; they teach them how to thrive.

We offer:

• Digital safety training for those living under protective orders

• Self-worth rebuilding after narcissistic or domestic abuse

• Special-needs advocacy for parents and caregivers

• Mental wellness and trauma recovery for veterans and spouses

• Laughter therapy and resilience tools for hospitalized children

Each lesson ends with reflection and independent activities that guide students toward inner strength and community connection.

Healing isn’t meant to be walked alone, and now, no one has to.

A Family-Led Legacy

Our mission is more than a program; it’s a family purpose.

My husband, Michael Solomon, is my rock; he supports me and helps co-host our globally ranked podcast. He ensures that our message stays rooted in authenticity. Our daughter, Faith, who has faced unimaginable medical challenges, co-hosts our Teen Talk podcast and writes children’s books to encourage other kids facing similar struggles. She’s living proof that strength doesn’t always shout; sometimes it smiles, and those smiles, well, they are nothing short of contagious.

Together, we’ve turned our pain into purpose, and our purpose into a promise never to stop giving back.

The Ripple That Keeps Growing

Every new student, every donation, every shared story adds to the ripple effect of healing. Survivors become mentors. Veterans rediscover their voice. Parents find laughter again.

From small towns in the U.S. to shelters overseas, A Contagious Smile Academy proves that healing shared is healing multiplied.

When one person rises, others find the courage to do the same.

An Invitation from My Heart

If you’re reading this and your past still echoes, please hear this: you are not broken. You are becoming.

Join our global family at A Contagious Smile Academy. Discover courses written from lived experience, courses that understand, that uplift, and that help you heal on your terms.

If your heart feels called to help others rise, you can fund a survivor’s scholarship here: buymeacoffee.com/victoriacuore.

Because healing shouldn’t be a luxury, it’s a right, one we’ve already paid for in pain. Now, it’s time to pay it forward in hope.