Help me to get back my beautiful smile, and healthy teeth

I Am Elena – And I’m Asking for Your Help

For ten years, I have devoted my life to volunteering at Coalition Moss Park, Regent Park, Toronto Birth Center, Neighborhood Associations and many more) in downtown Toronto, helping strangers, comforting the lonely, and giving my time to serve the community. I never imagined I would be the one needing help.

But one terrible moment changed everything.

A sudden, violent accident destroyed almost my entire smile, 10 front teeth gone (Small or big fractures and broken), along with 2 bridges and several crowns. My dentist tells me more will have to be pulled soon. I’ve already had surgery, lived with a splint in my mouth, and now face months of painful specialist treatments.

The cost is staggering, over $20,000. I have no income. OHIP, ODSP, and CDCP will not cover it because they call it “cosmetic,” even though I cannot eat solid food at all. My teeth are so damaged and loose that I survive only on liquids and mushy meals. Every bite risks more pain and more damage.

For six long weeks, I have lived in pain, physical pain that wakes me at night, and emotional pain that never leaves. I look in the mirror and see a stranger. I think about the beautiful smile I once had, the one I used to greet people while helping them, and I wonder if I will ever see it again.

Some days, I just walk through the city in silence, too tired to think, my heart heavy with fear, fear of losing my health, my smile, and my spirit.

My emotional and mental health are overwhelmed by pain; I struggle to keep up with daily routines, my mind is restless and disturbed, and most of the time I find myself wandering in despair—wishing this had never happened and wondering how I will manage the weight and the cost of it all.

The treatments ahead are long and hard, but without help, I don’t know how I will make it through.

I have spent years helping others through their dark moments. Today, I am in mine.

If you can, please help me rebuild my smile, my health, and my life.

Elena