Hello, my name is Jake. I am a single father with a rare neuromuscular disease called Friedreich’s ataxia.

I recently had to get my teeth removed so I’m trying to raise funds so I can get permanent teeth put in so I can eat solid food again.

The reason I had to get my teeth removed is that I had a bunch of root canals that dentists told me I needed, but soon after having them done, I started having some severe symptoms. My hair started falling out, my whole body was covered scabs/psoriasis, and I even spent a week in the hospital because my heart was beating irregularly. 

Infectious sores appeared on my gums and puss was oozing out every time I brushed my teeth. After yet another expensive trip to a different dentist I found out that the root canals weren’t done properly and there were still infected roots in the teeth. The infection had spread throughout my mouth and I had to get my teeth removed.

One of the characteristics of my disease is that I have difficulty swallowing so I need to make sure my food is throughly chewed so I don’t choke to death. I’ve been eating soft foods and processed foods for the past few months and I’m already down to 112 pounds since I’ve had my teeth removed.

The permanent teeth costs $25,000 per arch. My Medicaid doesn’t cover the expenses. I’ve tried to get a loan but my Social Security income of $1200 isn’t enough and even if I could get a loan, the payments would be over $1000 a month which would leave me with no money to live on.

If I am able to raise enough money to get the surgery done, I will record the whole procedure and post it on YouTube so you can see what your donation accomplished.

I am not the type of person to ask for help but I would really enjoy living long enough to see my son grow up. I really appreciate any amount you could contribute. Thank you! Jake