Please Help us Pay for Surgery
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Hello, I am campaigning on behalf of my best friend, Jennifer Smith, who has been diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening case of sleep apnea due to a severely recessed jaw. She is a loving wife and mother of four beautiful children. She is also, quite honestly, one of the most thoughtful, trustworthy and kindhearted individuals I have ever known. For years, I have watched her reach out to those in need, never expecting anything in return. She is not the kind of person who feels comfortable asking for help. However, I believe that this site was created for cases such as this and I personally welcome the opportunity to give back to such an incredible human being, by helping her achieve something that would otherwise be impossible. Please take the time to hear her story and decide for yourself if this is a cause worthy of your donation. We would appreciate any help whatsoever; no donation is too small. Please see below for the full story.
A brief history takes us back to two years ago when she moved back to Vancouver Island with her family. I watched my friend suffer with severe anxiety, depression and insomnia for months. There were days where she could barely get out of bed let alone care for her children. Daily life had become a huge struggle. Finally, she reached her breaking point and decided to seek help by going to the doctor, who quickly recommended a psychologist with a medical background. Jennifer was then sent for multiple tests which, in the end, indicated that the issues she was experiencing were actually due to her jaw and a severe case of sleep apnea. Each night, while she is sleeping, her airways are being cut off eighteen times per hour due to her lower jaw being pushed so far back. She tried using a sleeping machine often used for people with sleep apnea. However, her jaw was so recessed that the mask would not properly adhere to her face. At this point, she was sent to a specialist to see if he could build a special tool for her jaw to help open her airways while she was sleeping. He took one look at her and said her case was too severe. The solution finally came when she met with an oral surgeon who said he could perform jaw surgery. This is basically breaking someone's jaw and resetting it. This is actually much more complicated than it sounds because she needs braces and certain teeth pulled so that the oral surgeon can determine exactly how far he can move her jaw. She is going in October 16, 2017 to get fittings and xrays done so they can make a custom plate for her mouth. Soon after that, she will require braces. This entire process will take two years and will cost $7,800. Once her braces are removed, she can finally get her jaw surgery which will end up costing $8,700. All of this needs to be paid by the time her last surgery goes through a year and a half from now.
Unfortunately, there is no medical coverage for this as so many people get jaw surgery for purely cosmetic reasons. She legitimately NEEDS this surgery in order to sleep and breathe. This is actually to the point of being life threatening, but for some reason, she still can't get approval for coverage. Now, you may look at these costs and think to yourself that she can simply save money each month and work out a payment plan. Unfortunately, this is difficult if not impossible. You see, their six person family is currently operating on a single income. Her husband works very hard and she does her best with the limited money and resources that she has. I have always been amazed by the things she's able to do for her family with next to nothing. Every single penny is accounted for each month to the point where there is absolutely nothing left over for savings. They are able to pay their bills and provide for their family on a basic level, but anything beyond that is a struggle to say the least.
Conclusively, she needs this so badly and honestly, I don’t know how she could pull it off without financial assistance of some kind. We have a goal of $16,500 in order to make this happen for her. Please open your hearts and GIVE to this amazing woman. Thankyou for taking the time to read this and for any help you may be able to offer.
A brief history takes us back to two years ago when she moved back to Vancouver Island with her family. I watched my friend suffer with severe anxiety, depression and insomnia for months. There were days where she could barely get out of bed let alone care for her children. Daily life had become a huge struggle. Finally, she reached her breaking point and decided to seek help by going to the doctor, who quickly recommended a psychologist with a medical background. Jennifer was then sent for multiple tests which, in the end, indicated that the issues she was experiencing were actually due to her jaw and a severe case of sleep apnea. Each night, while she is sleeping, her airways are being cut off eighteen times per hour due to her lower jaw being pushed so far back. She tried using a sleeping machine often used for people with sleep apnea. However, her jaw was so recessed that the mask would not properly adhere to her face. At this point, she was sent to a specialist to see if he could build a special tool for her jaw to help open her airways while she was sleeping. He took one look at her and said her case was too severe. The solution finally came when she met with an oral surgeon who said he could perform jaw surgery. This is basically breaking someone's jaw and resetting it. This is actually much more complicated than it sounds because she needs braces and certain teeth pulled so that the oral surgeon can determine exactly how far he can move her jaw. She is going in October 16, 2017 to get fittings and xrays done so they can make a custom plate for her mouth. Soon after that, she will require braces. This entire process will take two years and will cost $7,800. Once her braces are removed, she can finally get her jaw surgery which will end up costing $8,700. All of this needs to be paid by the time her last surgery goes through a year and a half from now.
Unfortunately, there is no medical coverage for this as so many people get jaw surgery for purely cosmetic reasons. She legitimately NEEDS this surgery in order to sleep and breathe. This is actually to the point of being life threatening, but for some reason, she still can't get approval for coverage. Now, you may look at these costs and think to yourself that she can simply save money each month and work out a payment plan. Unfortunately, this is difficult if not impossible. You see, their six person family is currently operating on a single income. Her husband works very hard and she does her best with the limited money and resources that she has. I have always been amazed by the things she's able to do for her family with next to nothing. Every single penny is accounted for each month to the point where there is absolutely nothing left over for savings. They are able to pay their bills and provide for their family on a basic level, but anything beyond that is a struggle to say the least.
Conclusively, she needs this so badly and honestly, I don’t know how she could pull it off without financial assistance of some kind. We have a goal of $16,500 in order to make this happen for her. Please open your hearts and GIVE to this amazing woman. Thankyou for taking the time to read this and for any help you may be able to offer.
Organizer and beneficiary
Tianna Topelko
Organizer
Sooke, BC
Jennifer Ashley Smith
Beneficiary
