I fought hard to get my smile back.. and I’m fighting to keep it.

I am a woman in recovery. For years, addiction and domestic violence took so much from me ..including my teeth and my confidence. My dental issues were the one visible reminder that followed me everywhere, constantly tying me to a version of myself I worked so hard to leave behind.

I never really got to be a carefree child. I was burdened with adult problems far too young, including sexual abuse. That pain carried into my teenage years and adulthood .. seeking attention in unhealthy places, ending up in domestic violence situations with people who should have never even had access to me, and eventually drugs. It took time, and it took a lot of falling down, but I got back up. I left my hometown, married my best friend, and we rebuilt our lives from absolutely nothing. We have regained what we lost and slowly built something stable, something healthy. For the first time in my life, I am doing well.

One of the biggest blessings in my recovery was being gifted dental work and dentures from an incredibly kind dentist’s office. Because of a connection through my doctor at the time, they chose to be part of my story. After years of hiding my mouth and avoiding photos, I was finally able to smile. Truly smile. It changed how I saw myself. It changed how I showed up in the world.

This Mardi Gras, we took our children to Tucks Parade and stopped at Numbers Eatery before heading home. I had been wearing my dentures for nearly 12 hours and had already eaten twice. My adhesive was in the car, and my bottom arch had become loose. Because I struggle with anxiety and the fear of them slipping while I talked, I handed the bottom arch to my husband to hold in his jacket pocket.

And then the unthinkable happened.

Somewhere between the parade and home, my bottom denture fell out of his pocket and was lost.

I have been in touch with the dentist who did all of my denture work, and thankfully they still have my molds on file. I am currently waiting to hear back from them regarding replacement options and cost. At this moment, I do not know the exact amount I am facing. What I do know is that I am completely toothless on the bottom, and life resumes at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. I am a full-time medical assistant student, and my husband is the sole provider for our entire family. We simply are not in a position to absorb an unexpected expense like this.

I wanted to get a jumpstart on gathering resources while I wait for final numbers.

I am also open to any ideas, suggestions, or local resources. If anyone knows of a dentist who might be interested in being part of my story or helping in any way, I would be deeply grateful. Community is what helped me survive and recover, and I believe in the power of people showing up for each other.

The loss I’ve felt from this is hard to describe. That smile represented something I had never truly experienced before — confidence. Safety. Pride. After fighting so hard just to be alive, to be sober, to build a healthy marriage and stable home, losing something that meant so much feels heavier than I expected.

But recovery has taught me that strength sometimes looks like asking for help.

If you feel led to donate, share, or connect me with resources, thank you. Every bit of support helps me keep moving forward..smiling forward ... into the life I worked so hard to build.

Update: It's $2,500 to replace my bottom denture.