RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia doctor is sharing his daughter's story so others can find hope in it: turning his grief into purpose through the pages of a children's book.
Bob Archuleta recently published "Christine's Magical Smile," inspired by the life and spirit of his daughter Christine.
The book takes readers on an adventure through every page, bringing comfort to kids facing chronic conditions, the same kind of comfort Christine brought to everyone around her through her smile.
"We realized very early on she loved to smile. And she always smiled. She actually, when we would have family photos done, she'd say, 'Dad smile!'" Archuleta said.
Christine grew up in a family where medicine was a way of life.
Surrounded by doctors, she planned to follow her parents' footsteps at VCU Health and was preparing to start her residency. But just before that chapter could begin, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"Just remarkably, she never complained about herself. She was always concerned about how a friend was going to understand what she was going through and how she could make her friend feel better about it," Archuleta said.
The people who knew Christine say she had a way of lifting others up without even trying — whether she was on the soccer field or in the classroom.
"I guess the one thing I heard more than anything about Christine was about her beautiful smile and about her love for helping others. She would talk all her friends into studying two nights before there were exams so they could go to a concert the night before their exam and then they all got A's. They never could figure out how Christine could do that," Archuleta said.
After losing his daughter in 2022, Archuleta knew he wanted her spirit to keep making a difference. Writing a book was one way to do that. Even though Christine didn't get the chance to become a doctor, her father says her story can still encourage kids who have big dreams of their own.
"My wife and I clearly learned and I've continued to process that the stages of grieving, the sixth stage of grieving is establishing meaning. That's why I'm working so hard to establish a meaning for Christine's incredible life and her magical smile and how it affected an entire community. I couldn't be any more proud of her. She would've done wonderful things and great things for this community. And she will with her book," Archuleta said.
Since Archuleta published the book, several authors have endorsed it.
"Christine's story reflects a powerful real-life inspiration—one that reminds us how a child's smile can reach far beyond a single moment, shaping the way we see compassion, community, and care for others," Tony Buttino Sr., an Emmy Award-winning co-creator of "Reading Rainbow," said. "A powerful portrait of how kindness leaves a lasting legacy."
Cari Hitchcock, a children's author of the "Adventures of Baby Brown Bear" series, said Christine's journey teaches kids the value of positivity, teamwork, helping others and believing in themselves.
"It leaves readers of all ages with an important reminder: a smile truly has the power to heal, connect, and inspire," Hitchcock said.
"Christine's Magical Smile" is available on Amazon. All proceeds go to the organization Noah's Children and to Christine's Legacy Fund at VCU Health.
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