Hi, my name is Barbara and I'm a friend of T.J.'s.

T.J. needs our help to pay for emergency surgery to halt aggressive deterioration of his jaw and sinuses caused by long-term damage from the physical violence he suffered as a child.

Those of you who are close to T.J. know he has faced many challenges in his personal life and is a poster child of resilience and courage. This time is no different, but he needs our support. T.J. will have to get 2 bone grafts and have all his teeth removed and replaced with implants. It needs to happen as soon as possible to prevent potentially life-threatening infections.

The cost is estimated to be $17,000.

Like most museum workers, T.J. does not have dental insurance. His health insurance will not cover it even though it is medically necessary. Will you give a gift today to help T.J. cover this unexpected expense?

T.J. is a wonderful friend and an amazing community member who has given so much of his time and talent to make this world a better place.

You may know T.J. from his work bringing MN history alive at the Maplewood Area Historical Society and his commitment to telling the stories of indigenous and immigrant communities in Maplewood. Maybe you’ve participated in an historic reenactment with him at MAHS or Grand Portage, or sent a child to the only Hmong language summer camp in MN, or learned about St. Nikolaus’ younger brother Belsnickel at St. Nikolaustag.

You may know him through his work with children – the wonderful summer camps he's created to teach children about their world and their place in it, engaging their imaginations and giving them a safe place to explore, be outside, and just be a kid.

You may know him from his work in the DFL – running for office, door knocking for candidates, fundraising, and serving as a CD4 officer. Maybe you know him from a recent rally to defend our democracy.

If you know T.J., you know he is the first to offer help to others and the last to ask for it. This is our chance to show him that his community cares about him. Please make a donation as a message of support to T.J. during this very difficult time.

Thank you!

Barbara Clark