Making Life a Little Sweeter

    Smelling Michael Platt’s cupcakes fresh out of the oven would surely make you drool.

    They come in delicious flavors like Banana Pudding and S’mores. Each one is topped with a perfect swirl of sweet, fluffy frosting.

    But this 15-year-old baker from Maryland didn’t always spend so much time in the kitchen. A health problem forced him to quit some of his favorite activities. That’s when he started baking more often. 

    Michael’s new hobby changed his life for the better. It also gave him an interesting idea. Baking had helped him during a tough time. Couldn’t he use his skills to help other people too?

    Smelling Michael Platt’s cupcakes fresh from the oven would make you drool.

    They come in delicious flavors like Banana Pudding and S’mores. Each one is topped with sweet, fluffy frosting.

    But this 15-year-old from Maryland didn’t always spend so much time baking. A health problem forced him to quit some of his favorite activities. That’s when he started baking more often.

    Michael’s new hobby changed his life for the better. It also gave him an idea. Baking had helped him during a tough time. Couldn’t he use his skills to help other people too?

    Smelling Michael Platt’s cupcakes fresh out of the oven would surely make you drool.

    They come in delicious flavors like Banana Pudding and S’mores, and each one is topped with a perfect swirl of sweet, fluffy frosting.

    But this 15-year-old baker from Maryland didn’t always spend so much time in the kitchen. He became focused on baking after a health problem forced him to quit some of his favorite activities. 

    Michael’s new hobby changed his life for the better, and it gave him an interesting idea. Baking had helped him during a difficult time. Couldn’t he use his skills to help other people too?

    Michael’s whole life changed when he was 9 years old. That’s when he found out he had epilepsy—a brain disorder that can cause seizures. 

    When someone has a seizure, it can make them lose control of their body. Michael’s doctor no longer felt it was safe for him to ride his bike or do gymnastics. “That was hard to hear,” Michael says. “I was just starting to become really good.” 

    One day, Michael’s grandmother suggested they bake something together. They decided to make an Almond Joy cake. When they served their dessert, his family went wild. “Everyone loved it!” Michael says.

    That’s all it took. He was hooked on his new hobby. Without his other activities, Michael had plenty of time to bake. His mom taught him basic skills, like how to measure ingredients. He also started watching YouTube videos to learn new tips.

    Michael’s life changed when he was 9 years old. He found out he had epilepsy, a brain disorder that can cause seizures.

    When someone has a seizure, they can lose control of their body. Michael’s doctor no longer felt it was safe for him to ride his bike or do gymnastics. “That was hard to hear,” Michael says. “I was just starting to become really good.”

    One day, Michael’s grandmother suggested they bake something together. They made an Almond Joy cake. When they served it, his family went wild. “Everyone loved it!” Michael says.

    That’s all it took. Michael had a new hobby. His mom taught him basic skills, like how to measure ingredients. He watched YouTube videos to learn new tips.

    Michael’s whole life changed when he was 9 years old. That’s when he found out he had epilepsy—a brain disorder that can cause seizures. 

    When someone has a seizure, it can make them lose control of their body. Michael’s doctor no longer felt it was safe for him to ride his bike or do gymnastics. “That was hard to hear,” Michael recalls. “I was just starting to become really good.” 

    One day, Michael’s grandmother suggested they bake something together. They decided to make an Almond Joy cake. When they served their dessert, his family went wild. “Everyone loved it!” Michael remembers.

    After that, he was hooked on his new hobby. Without his other activities, Michael had plenty of time for baking. His mother taught him basic skills, like how to measure ingredients. He also started watching YouTube videos to learn new tips.

    As Michael got better at baking, he decided to start a business. But this wouldn’t be any old business. Michael had a bright idea.

    For every cupcake he sold, Michael wanted to also give one to a person in need. This idea was inspired by his visits to nearby Washington, D.C. The homeless people he saw there stayed in his mind. “I have always wanted to do something to help people who are less fortunate,” he says. 

    Michael calls his baking business Michaels Desserts. Now he takes orders online, selling four cupcakes for $15. Then he delivers another four cupcakes to groups that feed people in need. 

    These baked goods make life just a little sweeter for people going through a hard time. “They don’t often get dessert,” Michael says. “When I give them a cupcake, it makes their day.”

    Michael got better at baking. He decided to start a business. But this wouldn’t be any old business. He had an idea.

    For every cupcake he sold, Michael wanted to also give one to a person in need. This idea was inspired by his visits to nearby Washington, D.C. The homeless people he saw there stayed in his mind. “I have always wanted to do something to help people who are less fortunate,” he says.

    Michael calls his business Michaels Desserts. He takes orders online. He sells four cupcakes for $15. Then he gives another four cupcakes to groups that feed people in need.

    These treats make life a little sweeter for people going through a hard time. “They don’t often get dessert,” Michael says. “When I give them a cupcake, it makes their day.”

    As Michael became a more experienced baker, he decided to start a business—but this wouldn’t be an ordinary business. Michael had a brilliant idea.

    For every cupcake he sold, Michael wanted to also give one to a person in need. This idea was inspired by his visits to nearby Washington, D.C. The homeless people he saw there stayed in his mind. “I have always wanted to do something to help people who are less fortunate,” he says. 

    Michael calls his baking business Michaels Desserts. Now he takes orders online, selling four cupcakes for $15. Then he delivers another four cupcakes to groups that feed people in need. 

    These baked goods make life just a little sweeter for people who are struggling. “They don’t often get dessert,” Michael explains. “When I give them a cupcake, it makes their day.”

    Since starting his business in 2017, Michael has given away hundreds of cupcakes. He also donates some of the money he earns to a group called No Kid Hungry. That money has helped the group provide thousands of meals to kids across the country. 

    Michael says he has learned so many lessons from his hard work. One of the most important is to not judge a book by its cover. What he means is that you can’t know what someone’s life is like just by looking at them. 

    “I once met a man wearing a suit in the park,” Michael says. “He didn’t look homeless. But I decided to give him a cupcake anyway. When I did, he told me he hadn’t eaten in three days.”

    Since starting his business in 2017, Michael has given away hundreds of cupcakes. He also donates some of the money he earns to a group called No Kid Hungry. That money has helped the group provide thousands of meals to kids across the country.

    Michael says he has learned a lot from his hard work. For instance, he has learned not to judge a book by its cover. That means you can’t know what someone’s life is like just by looking at them.

    “I once met a man wearing a suit in the park,” Michael says. “He didn’t look homeless. But I decided to give him a cupcake anyway. When I did, he told me he hadn’t eaten in three days.”

    Since starting his business in 2017, Michael has given away hundreds of cupcakes. He also donates some of the money he earns to an organization called No Kid Hungry. Those donations have helped the organization provide thousands of meals to kids across the country. 

    Michael says he has learned many lessons from his hard work. One of the most important is to not judge a book by its cover—in other words, you can’t know what someone’s life is like just by looking at them. 

    “I once met a man wearing a suit in the park,” Michael remembers. “He didn’t look homeless, but I decided to give him a cupcake anyway. When I did, he told me he hadn’t eaten in three days.”