2 weeks ago, at 4:30am, I got the phone call that no parent wants to receive. Jess called me crying hysterically, telling me she needed help, was scared, didn't know what to do, and in so much pain. My heart stopped. I was terrified. She had gotten up to use the restroom and didn't feel well, she wanted to wash her hands and go back to bed. She didn't even make it to the sink. She fainted and sadly broke the fall with her face. I told her to go to the ER at Shands (I'm 90 minutes away). She did, and they did scans, x-rays, blood work, and more to figure out what was wrong. They had to call in a specialist after they determined she had fractured her jaw as well as broken 3 of her front teeth. She's on a soft food diet for 6-8 weeks until her mouth heals enough for some repairs. They still do not know why she fainted in the first place. She went to an emergency dentist the next day and an Endodontist the following day. The two doctors conferred and decided that one tooth was broken to the pulp and needs to be extracted and replaced with an implant. The other two teeth were damaged considerably and need root canals as well as crowns. The cost of doing this work is significant and not something she can manage alone. Jessica is a 20 year old student at U of F (psych major). She's there on a 100% Bright Futures scholarship thanks to stellar grades throughout high school. She works part time and insists on paying her own rent and expenses. She is barely making it now (despite not wanting our help), and this is out of reach for her. We can help her some, but this is beyond our capability. She's looking at extensive and costly dental work. She's a server and a portion of her income is tip based. She's currently wearing a mask to work to hide her broken teeth and fractured jaw. She's a proud young woman and any support would mean the world to her. Your kindness can help her smile her beautiful smile again and ease her burden during this difficult time.






