My name is Makayla Johnston. I am the 16 year old daughter of Steven Johnston and Amber Rene Blair Johnston. We are in need of your help. I need to have surgery to fix my lower jaw joints. Yes both of them. I have been battling the pain with this issue for years.  Now I am being told that the joints are not salvageable and the only way to fix it is with an expensive surgery. This pain has come to a point  that I have been forced to modify my diet to eat softer foods if I can eat at all, and that I can no longer participate in some of my favorite activities like archery,  wrestling,  and playing in my highschool marching band. Before I cam get back to what feels like normal I have to have metal prosthesis  like the one pictured here put in place. These metal joints are made from detailed scans of my jaw and can only be used by me and take 3 months to make.  Once they have been put in place, I will need to stay in the hospital for a minimum of 4 to 6 days.  My jaw will remain wired shut for 6 to 8 weeks, or until the doctor says otherwise
        My education and highschool experience are very important to me. This is why my family and I are trying to get this procedure done over the summer. This will give me enough time to heal before I start my junior year of highschool. Before I can get on the surgical schedule, or even have the joints made, my family and I have to pay a deposit of $12,000. My insurances are covering a lot of the expenses, but due to the diagnosis of;
1.  Bilateral TMJ arthritis
2.  Dislicated, severely deformed, degenerated, and nonsalvageable articular discs
3.  Polyarthritis with yet unidentified connective tissue autoimmune issue
4.  TMJ pain
5.  Headaches
6.  Myofacial pain
my family has to pay a great deal out of pocket. 
      This is where you come in.  My dad has been joking that if this goes to 24,000 people and they each give $2, we would be golden. With your help this can happen.  If you can or cannot give, we hope and pray you will pass this on to as many people as possible to help us achieve our goal. If you have any questions, please contact us, or if you would like, you can give through venmo @MommyRene3. 

Thank you 
Makayla