This is hard. No two ways about it. I have never been in a position quite like this but if you are a parent you know you do what you have to do.
Christian was born 10 weeks premature and has had trouble with his teeth and mouth his entire life. His mouth is anatomically incorrect as he has an “open bite” where his teeth don’t meet when he bites down and his lower jaw is larger than his upper jaw. He also had an extensive dental surgery when he was very young and his teeth did not form and come in correctly. He has overlapping teeth, too many teeth and teeth where there should be none. He lost one tooth in a farming accident which doesn’t have anything to do with this issue.
He has gone to dozens of dentists and tried SO MANY things. He finally found a dentist he is comfortable with and we have a plan of action. The only way to truly fix all that is wrong is for Christian to have his teeth removed and replaced with a hybrid mix of implants and a couple of removable pieces. In complete transparency, we were shocked to receive the cost of $56k.(because of his mouth structure this is pretty much the only way to “fix” it correctly).
As most people, he doesn’t have dental insurance (it wouldn’t cover much anyway) and there are no financing options. This means he has to pay up front at every visit. Payment schedules are $20k, $20k, $8k and $8 over a 6-7 month period (just being transparent). Needless to say he/we don’t have that in such a short time frame. I want to state this isn’t for cosmetic reasons, he has dealt with the comments, bullies and not feeling comfortable to smile his entire life. He has learned how to deal with that best he can. He is currently having daily pain and this is really the only solution that will work for the situation he is in.
We are being as creative as we can to help Christian. We have several ways we are trying to raise the money including specials in our business, selling items, etc. I was asked by multiple people to create a Go Fund Me. I protested as my joy comes from giving so to ask for anything where I am not giving in return is a tough one for me. It is hard when you need help but this will relieve his pain, give him a smile he has NEVER had before and help with his overall health. That means it is worth however “hard” this is. So after much praying, thinking and several kind souls that have told me to “just do it” for Christian, here we are.
We are grateful for the outpouring of love we have been shown and will post pictures as we go along this journey.
Signed
A Grateful Mom
