Over the past year, what I thought was just tooth sensitivity turned out to be something much more serious, an infection and root death in my front left tooth (#9, for all you dental nerds out there). After many appointments, I’ve learned this was likely due to an old facial injury; possibly from skating, childhood accidents, or even a dog-kick to the face.

Unfortunately, the tooth now needs to be extracted and replaced with a dental implant. The entire process will take about 10–12 months and cost close to $10,000. Because no clinics in my area accept state insurance or single-payer coverage for implants, I’ll need to pay this entirely out of pocket.

This expense is wiping out the savings I had set aside for grad school and will require me to take on loans just to get through the treatment. I shouldn’t need to chose between health or education but we’re unfortunately aware of the state in which the country operates under.

I know there are many urgent causes out there, and I still encourage folks to donate to organizations for migrant funds like Amnesty International or mutual aid groups like Care for Gaza. But if you’re able to contribute anything toward my dental fundraiser, I would be incredibly grateful. Every bit helps relieve the financial strain and keeps my educational goals that I’ve been working towards for the last five years within reach.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting in any way you can—whether that’s donating, sharing this, or cursing the health care system with me.