Well, most of you know me as Blu, but let me tell you about the boy who changed his whole life to become a productive and decent member of society. Edward was the boy with untreated mental health issues that led him down a path of self-destruction, chronic homelessness, and drug addiction. He spent many years self-medicating the symptoms of serious mental health issues, trying to escape the prison that was his own mind. I am a survivor of domestic violence, armed robbery, and sexual assault, all exacerbating the symptoms of my already deteriorating mental health. After 2 decades of the trauma of addiction, toxic relationships, and self-destruction, I was directed to an inpatient drug rehab aimed at dual diagnosis patients, those of us who suffer from concurrent addiction and mental health issues, and life began to change. I went on to graduate from that program after successfully completing 90 days of treatment that included anger management, multiple different trauma therapies, and a full team of medical and mental health providers, set for success in this new life. I continued on in recovery by moving into a sober living community for a full year after graduating, where I became a student of computer science, got my CNA, and worked in medical records at a nursing home, all while still focusing on recovery.

Unfortunately, after years of abuse, my dental health was abysmal, with many rotted, broken, and infected teeth, all of which led to physical pain, illness, and the need for extensive dental work. I’ve begun the process and had 10 teeth extracted, all out of pocket, two weeks ago, which is just the beginning of the work needed to get me back to being able to eat even a semi-regular diet. I still need 10 more teeth extracted and 5 root canals before I can begin to hopefully replace all of those lost teeth with a denture and a partial, hopefully allowing me to smile again.

Along with severe dental issues, I am a patient receiving Medically Assisted Treatment for opioid use disorder that I can no longer afford to take or taper slowly off of. 3300$ is the cost to fix the teeth that are in my mouth. The rest of the funds go right to replacement teeth. I don’t know what else to do but ask those of you who can to help to help smile wide again. I am out of other options.