Give Rosa Her Smile Back

Hello, my name is Bernie. My sister Rosey and I have started this campaign on behalf of our mother, Rosalinda Macias. For the last few years she has been slowly loosing her teeth. Like most people, we fall under the lower middle class economic tier, which means we have had to subscribe to basic health insurance. Unfortunately, in this world you get what you pay for and so with cheap insurance we got cheap results. Though she had been visiting the dentist regularly, never once was she made aware of the sever gum disease festering in her mouth. All the dentist ever did was remove the loose teeth and call it a day. It wasn't until I personally took her to a periodontal specialist in Los Angeles that we found out exactly why her teeth kept falling. They assured us that had this been caught before, her teeth might have been saved. However, at this point her teeth must all be removed, her gums need to be deep cleaned to eradicate the disease, and she needs dental implants. The doctors informed us that the gum disease infecting her mouth is being swallowed up in her saliva and sent to her blood stream. Eventually, the doctors said, it can travel to her heart and cause fatal complications. Unfortunately the specialist qualified to do this job are not covered under her dental insurance which leaves my family no other choice but to reach out.

First, let me tell you a little bit about this incredible woman. The first born of 15 children to a single mother in Mexico, she raised and provided for them taking her first job of selling candy at the age of 4. After being a parent to her siblings she came to the US where she had three children of her own whom she dedicated her entire life to. Never remarried, never EVER smoked or drank a day in her life since then as an example for us. When her first grandchild was born she took her in and raised her. Now that her grandchild has had two children of her own my mother, now at 63 years-old has taken them in to raise. Although life for her has always been rough she never ever left family behind. She's raised four generations of children, she is four-times the mother and deserves to be able to smile about that. This woman is my hero and the last thing we want is for poverty to claim her well being.

As more and more teeth keep falling my mother slips further and further into a depression. She she has lost over 50% of her teeth on the top and about 40% on the bottom which makes it hard to eat. She is ashamed of her mouth and so will not leave the house. Their self-esteem has been shattered. She hast lost a lot of weight, her smile and her spirit. Please help us prevent a tragedy, and help Rosa get her smile back.