Donate to help Clay Rooker get his dentures...

UPDATE:

Thanks so much to all who have donated so far! This is Clay recovering with a cold pack at a friend's house yesterday afternoon. He had a frenectomy and a root tip removed, and the money we have raised so far covers that cost! Next up will be the dentures. Once Clay has healed up we will get him back to the dentist to take impressions. Please keep spreading the word to help Clay get these done!

Our friend Clay desperately needs dental work done and a fitting set of dentures. Life has thrown some hard knocks his way over the years, stemming from an HIV diagnosis in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, Clay is allergic to the sulfa that is in the newer, better medications, so he is limited to what is referred to as salvage drugs, which are less effective and have greater side effects. As a result, staying healthy and keeping his T cell count up is a constant challenge. Clay was able to support himself for the first decade or so after his diagnosis but in more recent years his health has declined and he has been unable to work. He is entirely reliant on funding for housing and health care through government grants administered through a few local agencies. He also benefits from the generosity of a few friends who from time to time pay for groceries and miscellaneous bills, drive and accompany him to appointments, and spend hours helping Clay navigate obstacles in his way.

But we cannot cover the dental care on our own.

Why no teeth? In late 2021, Clay had a bad fall that resulted in a broken femur, broken neck, a hip rebuild, and severe concussion. If that wasn't bad enough, all of this upper front teeth and lower teeth were knocked out. The community dental clinic performed the first extraction in April 2022. They discovered severe decay throughout and the decision was made to extract the remaining teeth. That last extraction was performed in October 2022. Last June the clinic took new impressions to fit Clay for dentures, but the set built for him have never fit and literally fall right out. Since then, the clinic has entirely dropped the ball and left Clay to fend for himself.

The loss of his teeth has taken a massive toll on Clay's health. He has been unable to eat solid foods for over a year, his weight is way down, and his T cell count is dangerously low. We have a very qualified dentist who can work with Clay to get him the dentures that fit properly. First, he needs some work done on his gums -- a frenectomy and the removal of some bone tissue. Between the consultation, antibiotics, sedation and other meds required and the procedures themselves, we are looking at nearly $3,000. Once these prodecures are done, our dentist will adjust Clay's existing dentures to fit his mouth properly, and we will give that a few weeks. If they work properly, we will be done. If not, she will need to build a new set of dentures. It is also possible that 2-4 implants may be necessary to keep them in place. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. for now, we are trying to raise a total of $6,000 to cover the oral surgery, the work on the existing dentures, and the possibility of needing a new set of dentures built.

[Some may be wondering why Clay is not yet on disability. We are working on it. He just submitted his application in January.]

Thank you for reading about Clay. If you can support this effort, please know you will be part of clay's journey to better health.