Bring Back Lizzie's Smile

In 2018 Lizzie Bradley-Howard was in a bicycle accident and lost 5 of her front teeth. As you may be aware, she has been chronically ill and disabled since 2013. We need to raise $6000 by February 1st, 2024 to pay for the bridge and the night guard that have helped her so much. Here is her story:

Lizzie's Story from August 2022

Hi friends,

I hope this finds you as happy, healthy and safe as possible, given these crazy times. I know it's been a long time . . . I am so grateful that I am able to write this to you today. I've been hoping to reach out and connect with you ever since I got sick and moved away to AZ from MA, but it's been almost impossible. I've been in horrific situations, and Survival is an insurmountable daily task for which I could use a team of 10 navy SEALS, but I am ALIVE!

For two years, I had to live outside and limit my cell phone usage to emergency calls because my cell phone made me physically sick. It was almost impossible to connect with people. I also had a lot of other obstacles. I was extraordinarily ill outside in the woods. Fortunately, I was only 4 miles from a small town with a little natural grocery store and where my mom had many friends. There were many friendly and understanding people. They understood when I had to wear a gas mask into the little grocery store.

In 2018 I was in a bicycle accident and lost 5 of my front teeth. As you may be aware, I have been chronically ill and disabled since 2014. I have been so ill that I cannot work and can barely care for myself. (Although I am improving!)

In 2019 I came to this city in an emergency situation and ended up moving here because I couldn’t return to the small town I had been living in. It was, therefore, very challenging for me to meet any friends or create a support system here.

Being homeless and without stability in a city is scary. And when you can barely care for yourself due to a bunch of bona fide chronic, complex and rare diseases – getting food, medicine, a shower, clean clothing, etc., is hard enough to manage. So your teeth start to fall out, and you cannot have a cataract removed and go blind in one eye. Yes, simply because you can't get to the surgery and don’t have an after-care team or a place to heal.

But now I have a home and the setup to heal my sight and smile. I am finally well enough to be indoors and work with doctors and dentists. So, I got my mouth examined, and all of my teeth need to be pulled, replaced or repaired.

Furthermore, it is complicated because I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). This rare, genetic connective tissue disorder makes your teeth move around and makes it much easier to get gum disease, gingivitis, and cavities, no matter how good your dental hygiene is. It is common to grind and clench your teeth and have TMJ when you have hEDS and MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome).

My teeth keep cracking and falling out because I grind them so intensely, but I couldn't get to a dentist, so I have been taking over-the-counter pain medication and CBD for a couple of years. I just couldn't physically get to a dentist. Now I drink smoothies and try to keep them away from the sensitive parts of my mouth, so I avoid pain as much as possible. I am looking forward to pain relief and eating solid foods again. Thank you so much.

Best Regards,

Lizzie

Information LINKS about these chronic illnesses and resulting dental problems: