Ama Osei Bonsu
Founder and President
I was born and raised in Ghana, where I nurtured a long-held dream of adopting a child during my youth. My motivation to establish THS was ignited by the inspiring story of a young woman in Ghana who, while hospitalized and fighting for her life, took it upon herself to raise funds for an elderly woman in need of medical assistance. Her remarkable act of compassion and selflessness left a profound impact on me. As time passed, my initial dream of adoption evolved into a commitment to support marginalized children in Ghana.
For more than twenty years, I have resided and worked in the United States. In 2003, I was honored to be named Laboratorian of the Year. After several years serving as a Clinical Laboratorian at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital in San Antonio, TX, I made a pivotal choice to reduce my work hours in order to focus on my passion for helping marginalized children.
While I am grateful to have two children of my own, I have also had the privilege of being a mother to 100 incredible children. Through God’s grace, I have been able to fulfill my dream and embark on a deeply rewarding and humbling journey. Caring for these children has become my life’s mission. I am married to Dr. Kofi Osei Bonsu, a supportive pharmacist who stands by me in this endeavor.
Having witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of extreme poverty, I aspire for this organization to create a meaningful impact in the lives of many children, spreading hope and positivity throughout the world. This is my ultimate vision!
Awards and Achievements
2011- GraceAnn Durr Humanitarian Award Winner through Methodist Healthcare
2015 – GraceAnn Durr Humanitarian Award Winner through Methodist Healthcare
Dr. Yolanda G. Díaz (left)
is a native San Antonian optometrist with a passion for serving God through helping others. She graduated 
from St. Mary’s University and the University of Huston, her hobbies are gardening and sewing.
Amelia (center) is Nadia’s daughter and she is 2yrs old.
Nadia Padron (right) is Yolanda’s daughter and Nadia has been a yoga instructor for 6 years. Nadia graduated from Texas A&M University San Antonio and is a preparing for medical school.
Elaine Underwood
Secretary
Elaine Underwood was born and raised in Seattle, WA. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resource Management and a Minor in Psychology from Central Washington University. Elaine met her husband, Chris, at college and they have three children: Aidan, Dylan, and Ashlyn. Ten years ago, the military brought her family to San Antonio, Texas where they fell in love with the city and the community and decided to make San Antonio their permanent home. Elaine is the Director of Human Resources for Sundance Print Centers.
Elaine’s passion for helping others and her community started at a young age and has continued through her adult life. She is an active volunteer with numerous organizations that her children are involved in.
When Elaine heard of The Heart Smiles organization and the amazing work they were doing to help children in Ghana, she knew this was something special that I wanted to be a part of. Elaine has previously served on the gala committee and is currently serving as Secretary.
Rosario Yanez 
Treasurer
My name is Rosario Yanez; I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and moved to San Antonio 17 years ago with my husband, Victor Zavala, and four children (3 boys and 1 girl), all teens.
We have a small Insurance brokerage in California; my husband still commutes. I have enjoyed being a stayed-at-home mom and being able to form part of my children’s events and activities and still be able to help our office from home. Now that my kids are all grown-up teens, I finally could start doing something that I have always felt passionate about, which is being a freelance Spanish Interpreter. I love what I do; I am grateful to be able to help serve as a bridge for someone who needs my help. Besides volunteering with The Heart Smiles, I also volunteer with Catholic Charities in San Antonio, California, and Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project.
I met Ama when my oldest kids were in Elementary School; I felt her passion to help and make a difference in these children’s lives. We sponsor Dora, Emmanuel, and Peter; we are very proud to see their growth and achievements.
I feel honored to forming part of this beautiful organization.
Pamela Ayon
Pamela Ayon was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. In her teenage years, she was involved in several pageants which helped build her confidence and self-esteem and also earned her scholarships for college.
After getting married, Pamela moved to California in 1990 and worked as a nurse at West Hills Hospital in West Hills, CA for 4 years. For 15 years, she was a stay-at-home mother to six children. After the birth of her twins, Pamela was ready to return to work as an entrepreneur. With the support and knowledge of her husband in the manufacturing industry, they have managed to nurture their company into a thriving business acquiring contracts with the federal government, the city of San Antonio, the state of Texas, and many national retail outlets. Pamela currently owns and operates World Wide Imaging Supplies.
Helping others has always been Pam’s life passion and she is honored and blessed to be a part of The HeartSmiles Organization.
Colleen Sample
Colleen Sample is a native of Ohio and grew up in Alabama. She inherited her love of community service and the desire to volunteer from her mother. A graduate of Southern Mississippi University, Colleen spent her career in the Air Force traveling the world. The birth of her son Gabriel was a turning point for Colleen, and she happily transitioned her focus to motherhood. Both mother and son became involved with the HeartSmiles Organization when he was in third grade. Reagan’s football mom, president of Gabe’s fan club, Colleen now focuses her incredible talents on making everyone she meets happy pursuing a spirit of volunteerism that inspires those around her.
Miranda Richard
Miranda was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. She attended Louisiana State University on a volleyball scholarship playing 4 years for the Tigers in Baton Rouge. Since 2000, Miranda has worked at USAA in San Antonio and Phoenix helping to serve the military community and their families.
Miranda enjoys volunteering and serving in the community. She has always been passionate about helping others and being able to help children holds a special place in her heart. She has found that volunteering her time has provided an opportunity to teach her own children the importance of providing a helping hand and support to others. She feels truly blessed to be a part of an organization as committed to its cause as HeartSmiles.
Miranda is married to Andrew who is an executive at USAA and has two children, Peyton and Aidan. Her free time is spent enjoying her children’s year-round sporting events, attending Spurs games and cheering on her beloved Tigers. Miranda is looking forward to being a part of improving the lives of the children the HeartSmiles Organization serves.
Douglas Owusu
Douglas was born and raised in Koforidua, Ghana. He has been the Principal/Caretaker at The HeartSmiles Organization in Ghana since 2016.
He oversees the management, training, and supervision of staff and children at the orphanage at Manso Akropong. Douglas was a teacher at a junior high school, where he taught Information, Communications and Technology. He also worked at the National Disaster Management Organization as part of the IT team.
In October 2008, he participated in a self-development leadership conference organized by the Leadership Empowerment Consult in Accra, Ghana.
Douglas likes to play volleyball. He holds six individual volleyball championship titles. He graduated high school in 2009 with a general science diploma and continued to study Computer Hardware at IKE Computer Training Institute (ICL) at Koforidua, Ghana. He graduated with a diploma in Computer Science and Networking Management from Koforidua Technical University in Ghana.
Douglas is positive about every aspect of life and loves to help others.
