A CHANGE FOR CHAISE

I am writing on behalf of a very special young man who is in need of financial assistance for two medically necessary maxillofacial surgeries that insurance refused to cover. Chaise Meyers required specialized and advanced treatment, due to being born with a congenitally class III mal occlusion collapsed vertical dimension of inclusion. He had an approximate over closer of 10 to 12 mm, which inhibited his normal functioning abilities. He continues to be in care of experienced dental professionals while receiving extensive dental treatment to restore him to a normal position. The insurance company said that they agreed his surgeries were medically necessary however since he did not have a diagnoses of oral cancer they won’t pay for any part of either surgery. Chaise is a special needs young man with a variety of medical issues. He suffers epilepsy, autism, severe sinusitis, a major circulatory system disorder as well as a suppressed immune system. Recently Chaise has undergone both maxillofacial surgeries to help him to breathe easier and also begin the process to have the ability to eat normally. He is currently on a very restricted diet until he has completely recovered. Chaise has other significant sinus problems besides his sinusitis. He was born with only two sinus passages, a maxillary on one side and an ethmoid on the other side of his nasal passages. Other people have a frontal, maxillary and ethmoid on each side of their nasal passages. When he has a cold or a sinus infection he is beyond miserable. He is so uncomfortable yet he never complains. One reason Chaise needed surgery was because his sinuses passages were collapsing. This was causing him even more problems breathing and recovering from colds and sinus infections. Another reason for the surgeries was to give Chaise a proper bite. He had the most severe under bite ever documented in Wisconsin or Illinois. Chaise had a very difficult time eating. He very seldom ate food that required the use of utensils because he would have to place them so far back into his mouth they were basically useless. To eat sandwiches Chaise would have to place most of the sandwich deep into his mouth just to get a bite of it. He only had two teeth on each side of his mouth that lined up with one another in order to chew food. A lower molar on each side of his mandible lined up with cuspid on each side of his maxilla. These four teeth were not near enough to give him a sufficient chewing surface to grind his food before swallowing it. So between Chaises’ teeth not aligning properly to bite off the appropriate amount of food and not being able to chew his food this put Chaise at a much higher risk of choking. Not only did he have a difficult time eating but brushing his teeth was also a huge challenge. With his lower jaw protruding such a significant amount it was hard for Chaise to reach his upper teeth to give them a proper cleaning. Because of his inability to keep his upper teeth clean, surgeons decided it would be best to extract them and place implants into his upper jaw and give him artificial teeth. However, this option puts Chaise in need expensive continuing care that will include replacement of the artificial teeth that are being attached to his implants. Chaise is will need this done several more times as he so young and the artificial teeth wear down. He will also need many follow up appointments and very specialized cleanings of his teeth every four months for many years to come. His lower teeth were in fair condition he was able to keep them. The surgeons were able to move Chaises mandible three times further than had ever done on any patient previously. Because the first surgery moving Chaises lower jaw back was so successful, Chaise did have to undergo another to move his upper jaw forward in order to achieve a proper bite. Originally this was part of the surgical plan. Chaises Prosthodontist is in the process of fitting Chaise artificial teeth that will attach to the implants. However this will be only the first of several that Chaise will need in his lifetime as artificial teeth wear down and Chaise is very young  The cost of these surgeries and the dental work needed as well as the continuing care to help Chaise do what some of us take for granted is approximately $60,000. To raise this kind of money is be a huge challenge for Chaises family because he is disabled, and his Father passed away five years ago leaving only Mother to provide for Chaises significant medical needs.  Chaise and his family would greatly appreciate donations of any amount.