Hi, my name is Kinaa. I'm a transgender woman, and this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life...but I can’t smile.

These pictures were incredibly tough to take but those are my actual teeth.

I’ve fought hard to be here. Six years ago, I was homeless, sleeping in my car, terrified to live as my true self. I lived in silence, afraid, isolated, and hiding who I really was. Today, I have a stable place to live, I have a job, and I've been transitioning for two years. I'm finally becoming the woman I always knew I was.

But my teeth are holding me back from fully embracing this new life.

I only have 11 teeth left, and none of them are savable. I live with chronic infections and can’t eat most solid food. The pain is constant. And the root cause? I have Tourette syndrome, and over time my tics...involuntary teeth clicking and grinding...have severely damaged my mouth. This wasn’t something I could control, but it’s left me feeling ashamed and in pain every single day.

I also live with mild autism, which makes social interactions challenging even on the best days. My dental condition makes it worse. I’m afraid to speak. I’m afraid to laugh. I’m afraid that when people meet me, my teeth are the first thing they’ll notice...before my heart, my journey, or my joy.

I’ve consulted with a specialist, and my only real options are full extractions and dentures or, ideally, a complete set of dental implants, which would allow me to smile, speak, eat, and live without shame or fear. Dentures would help, but implants would give me a permanent, stable solution and restore my confidence and quality of life long-term.

$10,000 would cover the initial extractions and dentures.

$50,000 would give me full dental implants and change my life forever.

But at this point I will take whatever will help.

I work full time, and I’m trying to save what I can but I simply can’t afford this on my own. I’ve come so far from where I started. I just want a chance to smile like I mean it. To talk without hiding. To eat without pain. To feel whole.

If you're able to donate, every dollar helps. If you can't give, please share my story. I just want to be seen. Fully seen as myself with no shame.

Thank you for helping me reclaim the smile I’ve been too afraid to show for far too long.

With love,

Kinaa