Meet Canada’s Kindest Kid Na’ama

The votes are in and it’s unanimous: Canada has some pretty sweet kids. We were so impressed by the top three, we wanted to share their stories with you.

The Grand Prize Winner

Na’ama Uzan, 5, Toronto, ON

Na’ama Uzan knows it takes more than a ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to become the kindest kid in Canada. Her parents, Ruchama and David, describe her as a “budding philanthropist.” Na’ama sells lemonade rain or shine – and even hot chocolate in the winter – to raise money to find a cure for Angelman Syndrome (AS), a rare developmental and neurological disability that makes it hard to walk or speak and causes frequent seizures.

Nadav, Na’ama’s seven-year-old brother, was diagnosed with AS at age two and a half. Last June, she was taking to the sidewalks, yelling, “Ice cold lemonade! Fifty cents a cup!” Her initiative quickly gained traction and, with the help of her Toronto community, she now has three portable lemonade stands that have raised about $24,500 for the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST).

Na’ama is just like any other kid: she loves playing with modeling clay, her favourite colour is a close call between pink and “really dark orange.” Nadav is her reason to go above and beyond. The two have a special bond and Na’ama looks up to him, always trying to make him laugh. “Her motivation to be an advocate for him is really inspiring,” says Ruchama. “She’s just so concerned for him and she just wants the best for him.” Na’ama says when she grows up she wants to be “just like Paula Evans” the chairperson for FAST. “But for a different syndrome because Angelman Syndrome will be cured by then.”

For more information on how to get involved, visit facebook.com/ASlemonadestand or email [email protected].

The Runners Up