Hi, my name is Mike and I'm fundraising for my mom to help pay for a full mouth dental restoration. In January 2022, my mom was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer on her lower lip. This particular form of cancer required an aggressive regimen of radiation and for 6 weeks, starting February 22nd and ending on April 4th, my mom went every morning to the radiation oncologist and her mouth was irradiated. It was not a pretty sight. The deeper into her treatment she went, the more swollen and burnt red her lower face got. Her pain was immutable. I often heard her cry out at night when it became too much to bare.

Luckily, the treatment worked! Her cancer entered remission. We as a family felt we had dodged a bullet and were very relieved that our mom was able to overcome this disease when cancer, as the worlds leading cause of death, killed 9.5 million people in 2022.

Unfortunately, her teeth weren't as lucky. Her oncologist told us this could happen but it was a secondary concern, less than that even. Anyone would gladly trade some teeth to not lose their life. For a while, she thought she had even dodged that fate as her teeth seemed fine for months after. Eventually though that price was paid and in December she lost her first tooth (and just as an aside, don't tell your mother who just lost her tooth that she looks like a hockey player, she won't love that.)

Fast forward to May 31st and my mom has lost almost all of her bottom teeth. She has difficulty enunciating words. She can't eat most solid foods and has lost 20 pounds in the last several months as a result. She's extremely self-conscious of her mouth and often covers it with her hands when speaking to hide her teeth and not be judged by people who would never know why her teeth are in the state they are. Of course she is extremely grateful to be with us still but this situation has taken its toll on both her mental and physical health.

Last month she started the arduous process of getting replacement teeth but after 2 appointments she realized this is not financially viable for her. Her radiation oncology treatment, even with insurance, cost her $20,000 in medical debt. Her credit cards are maxed out from a diagnosis 100% out of her control. She wasn't spending recklessly, she wasn't swiping indiscriminately. She just got cancer. She hoped she could find a cheaper quote for the implants and on the suggestion of one of her business clients, she solicited a dental school. After a consultation though, they told her that her case would be too complicated for students and that she would have to be taken up by one of the fully trained professor dentists. They explained to her that radiation damages the blood vessels in the area and with less blood flow, the area has a much more difficult time healing than it would otherwise. Having an unpractised hand operate in those conditions would be a risk that they weren't willing to take. So after running around dentist shopping and seeing as many dentists as she could, she left with a lowest quote of $42,000. An impossible sum for her.

So I am writing this and taking a shot in the dark, knowing how unlikely anything is to come of it, because my mother needs help. I'm a disabled, wheelchair bound adult and she has taken care of me for my entire life with an uncommon kindness, and a full heart of light and love. If I had the money I wouldn't hesitate to give her my last dollar and my last penny. She exudes grace, and laughter. Cheerfulness and positivity.

Before she lost her teeth she was always wonderfully quick to laugh and giggle; willing to have fun at even the faintest opportunity. Since then she is not nearly as willing to let her smile loose and the world is a worse place for it.