Help Zach Get His Smile BACK!
Donation protected
Who We Are:
I'm Laura, Zach's wife. This gofundme is being made in an effort to ensure he has access to the necessary medical and dental care he needs to ensure a healthy and happy life.
Zach is a supportive husband, incredible friend, and a compassionate human being. He works primarily as an artist and in what spare time he has left he participates in community outreach dressed as a Ghostbuster as a member of Ghostbusters ATX.
I'm putting this fundraiser together because he needs help from you, his friends and family, his community, anyone willing to listen to his story and offer aid.
After seeing a dentist for the first time in a LONG time we discovered that all of his teeth have been affected by a spreading infection from his back molars which has caused severe damage to the rest of his mouth. This is what we know so far...
The State of Things:
We were both shocked to discover after Zach's first appointment it would be in his best interest to have ALL of his teeth completely extracted. ALL OF THEM. The amount of infection and decay that has taken over has destroyed his teeth. Four of the eight molars are completely shattered and because of this, deeply infected. They need to immediately be removed first and can't be repaired or replaced.
At only 30 years of age, dentures are not his best option as they can cause many long-term issues by getting them so young (dissapearing jaw bone, receding gums, sunken facial appearance). The shock of the damage couldn't compare to the shock of being told getting his teeth taken care of would cost us around $50,000. A second opinion appointment confirmed that depending on our chosen path, the estimated damage appeared correct and the cost would be about the same.
Urgency:
His teeth are very infected from the open breaks in his molars and the longer it takes to begin treatment, the higher risk we run of the infection making its way into his brain. This risk is especially high in the broken molars on the top arch, because of the vicinity to his brain, and brain infection is, well, bad news.
Regardless of our options it is likely we will be needing to get the molars extracted as soon as possible, so we are anticipating needing 2-3k within the next month to begin.
The Procedures:
The first dentist recommended that for the amount of work that needs to be done and the severity of the work, the best option in regards to time and cost (from a private practice) would be 'All on Four/Teeth in a Day” implants (50,000)
If he ends up being a candidate to get crowns and repair work instead of replacement implants, the amount of work done would still run about 40k.
Our 2nd opinion dentist's own x-rays didn't show that repair was completely out of the question or a long shot. Bone mass in both jaws, as visible in x-rays, appeared in good standing furthering the idea of being accepted the procedure.
Next Steps:
On May 9th we will be driving to San Antonio, TX for a consultation at one of the top dental schools in the country to see if they would be willing to take his case (thankfully we've been told with his being so extensive, it is likely we will be accepted).
From there it will be determined which option will be safest and most effective given his unique situation and we'll have a better idea of the costs we're facing. If accepted, the treatment at the dental school will be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper, however it is still likely our costs could run as high as 20,000 between tests, procedures, recovery, and travel.
We just don't know yet, but will be updating this fundraiser FREQUENTLY as we learn more.
We also don't have a specific timeline on when we need the full amount, but what we do know is we've been told the amounts we need with our existing medical debt, credit will only cover a small portion of the expense. We can't do this without your help.
The smile is so much more than an "elective cosmetic procedure" despite what insurers may want you to believe.
Our smile is how we, our mouth, our TEETH are used to help us communicate language and sound, to sing, to laugh, to express joy, love and to connect with the world around us. Being without something that allows us feel to connected would greatly impact his quality of life. We ask you, our community to stand beside us and help Zach keep smiling with confidence and joy. Without worry of severe risks to his health.
Every single dollar will bring us closer to the care he needs so we ask if you are able, please give whatever you can. Knowing all too well that sometimes even that 1 dollar breaks the bank, we ask that if you cannot donate you share his story through social media, write a blog, make a video, however you can contribute would be the greatest gift you could possibly offer.
I greatly appreciate the outpouring of love we have recieved, it's not easy but we WILL get through this.
If you would like to read his personal story, he wrote about it on his blog here: Sugar is my Meth and Depression was the Dealer
I'm Laura, Zach's wife. This gofundme is being made in an effort to ensure he has access to the necessary medical and dental care he needs to ensure a healthy and happy life.
Zach is a supportive husband, incredible friend, and a compassionate human being. He works primarily as an artist and in what spare time he has left he participates in community outreach dressed as a Ghostbuster as a member of Ghostbusters ATX.
I'm putting this fundraiser together because he needs help from you, his friends and family, his community, anyone willing to listen to his story and offer aid.
After seeing a dentist for the first time in a LONG time we discovered that all of his teeth have been affected by a spreading infection from his back molars which has caused severe damage to the rest of his mouth. This is what we know so far...
The State of Things:
We were both shocked to discover after Zach's first appointment it would be in his best interest to have ALL of his teeth completely extracted. ALL OF THEM. The amount of infection and decay that has taken over has destroyed his teeth. Four of the eight molars are completely shattered and because of this, deeply infected. They need to immediately be removed first and can't be repaired or replaced.
At only 30 years of age, dentures are not his best option as they can cause many long-term issues by getting them so young (dissapearing jaw bone, receding gums, sunken facial appearance). The shock of the damage couldn't compare to the shock of being told getting his teeth taken care of would cost us around $50,000. A second opinion appointment confirmed that depending on our chosen path, the estimated damage appeared correct and the cost would be about the same.
Urgency:
His teeth are very infected from the open breaks in his molars and the longer it takes to begin treatment, the higher risk we run of the infection making its way into his brain. This risk is especially high in the broken molars on the top arch, because of the vicinity to his brain, and brain infection is, well, bad news.
Regardless of our options it is likely we will be needing to get the molars extracted as soon as possible, so we are anticipating needing 2-3k within the next month to begin.
The Procedures:
The first dentist recommended that for the amount of work that needs to be done and the severity of the work, the best option in regards to time and cost (from a private practice) would be 'All on Four/Teeth in a Day” implants (50,000)
If he ends up being a candidate to get crowns and repair work instead of replacement implants, the amount of work done would still run about 40k.
Our 2nd opinion dentist's own x-rays didn't show that repair was completely out of the question or a long shot. Bone mass in both jaws, as visible in x-rays, appeared in good standing furthering the idea of being accepted the procedure.
Next Steps:
On May 9th we will be driving to San Antonio, TX for a consultation at one of the top dental schools in the country to see if they would be willing to take his case (thankfully we've been told with his being so extensive, it is likely we will be accepted).
From there it will be determined which option will be safest and most effective given his unique situation and we'll have a better idea of the costs we're facing. If accepted, the treatment at the dental school will be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper, however it is still likely our costs could run as high as 20,000 between tests, procedures, recovery, and travel.
We just don't know yet, but will be updating this fundraiser FREQUENTLY as we learn more.
We also don't have a specific timeline on when we need the full amount, but what we do know is we've been told the amounts we need with our existing medical debt, credit will only cover a small portion of the expense. We can't do this without your help.
The smile is so much more than an "elective cosmetic procedure" despite what insurers may want you to believe.
Our smile is how we, our mouth, our TEETH are used to help us communicate language and sound, to sing, to laugh, to express joy, love and to connect with the world around us. Being without something that allows us feel to connected would greatly impact his quality of life. We ask you, our community to stand beside us and help Zach keep smiling with confidence and joy. Without worry of severe risks to his health.
Every single dollar will bring us closer to the care he needs so we ask if you are able, please give whatever you can. Knowing all too well that sometimes even that 1 dollar breaks the bank, we ask that if you cannot donate you share his story through social media, write a blog, make a video, however you can contribute would be the greatest gift you could possibly offer.
I greatly appreciate the outpouring of love we have recieved, it's not easy but we WILL get through this.
If you would like to read his personal story, he wrote about it on his blog here: Sugar is my Meth and Depression was the Dealer
Organizer
Laura Martin
Organizer
Austin, TX
