This is Tanya. My mom, Martha, was raised in rural Mississippi as an only child and didn’t have much. She has been a teacher most of her adult life, and unfortunately, her teacher’s retirement provides only a very limited income. I am also an only child, so I am helping in any way I can. We recently learned she was having major dental issues and needed excessive work done. We were accepted to the Baylor, Texas A&M Dental school and were thrilled because they estimated the process to remove all her teeth and provide dentures would be around $5,000. After the first step, removing all her teeth, we were told they couldn’t complete the process due to bone loss and a shortage of Prosthodontic students. So, she hasn’t had any teeth since February, which is causing the bone to recess even more. And of course she hasn't been able to eat any food that needs chewing. We have been actively searching for an oral surgeon and dentist to complete the procedure. After visiting six different doctors, we finally found one whose office seems reliable and who has a great reputation. But the whole cost of everything will be around $43,000. I was shocked to find out that Medicare doesn’t provide any dental coverage. Mom, unfortunately, doesn’t have any savings, and although I have some, this is way outside of what I was prepared for. So I’m reaching out to friends and family to see if we could ask for some help. Mom means everything to me. She is caring, empathetic, kind, generous and loves me unconditionally. And she has never been great at asking for help. She has supported me tirelessly through my Type 1 Diabetes journey since I was nine years old, most of that as a single parent. I owe her so much. This dental work is really important because not only can she not eat solid food, and her bone continues to recede, but she is very self-conscious, depressed and is isolating, which is never good. Without teeth, her speech and her appearance are impacted greatly. I feel so badly for her, and I know she feels terribly guilty that I am having to find a way to pay for all of this. Any help you can offer is so appreciated. And please share with anyone else who may be able to help. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, for me and my mom.
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