<div>What would you do if you woke up one day… and couldn’t speak clearly?
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<div>Not because of anxiety.
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<div>Not because of stress.
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<div>But because your jaw—your ability to communicate—was physically breaking down.
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<div>That’s where I am.
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<div>My name is Stacey
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<div>And I’m living with an extremely rare condition called<strong> Synovial Osteochondromatosis of the TMJ</strong>—a disease where my jaw joint produces cartilage that hardens into bone, filling the joint and destroying it from the inside.
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<div>This isn’t “just TMJ.”
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<div>This is:
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<div>A rare craniofacial disorder 
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<div>Bone-on-bone joint destruction
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<div>Structural damage to my jaw, face, and airway
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<div>Impact on my airway, speech, sleep, and daily function
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<div>Constant pain and pressure
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<div><strong>The reality most people don’t see</strong>
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<div><strong>Over 35 million Americans suffer from TMJ disorders—and the majority are women.</strong>
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<div><strong>Yet only an estimated 500–800 total TMJ joint replacement surgeries are performed in the U.S. each year.</strong>
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<div><strong>And cases like mine?</strong>
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<div><strong>So rare that only a limited number have ever been documented.</strong>
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<div><strong>Most surgeons will never see one.</strong>
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<div>For years, I was dismissed
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<div>I was told it was:
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<div>stress
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<div>clenching
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<div>“just TMJ”
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<div>But it wasn’t.
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<div>By the time imaging finally revealed the truth…
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<div>the damage was already severe.
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<div><strong>The part no one prepares you for</strong>
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<div>This condition falls into a grey area in healthcare.
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<div>It’s not fully dental.
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<div>It’s not fully medical.
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<div>So patients like me get stuck in between.
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<div>That means:
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<div>denied coverage
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<div>limited insurance support
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<div>and being left to figure it out alone
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<div><br />
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<div>I’ve had to become:
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<div>my own researcher
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<div>my own case manager
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<div>my own advocate
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<div>Searching across the country for surgeons who have even seen this condition.
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<div><strong>There is no system designed for patients like me—only a path you have to build yourself while living through it.</strong>
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<div><strong>What my life looks like now</strong>
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<div>Three months after getting married, I was diagnosed.
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<div>Instead of stepping into a new chapter, my husband and I are navigating:
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<div>chronic pain
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<div>uncertainty
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<div>and overwhelming financial strain
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<div>This condition affects:
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<div>how I eat
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<div>how I speak
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<div>how I feel in my own body
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<div>Some days, even forming words clearly takes effort.
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<div>And when something starts to take away your ability to communicate…
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<div>it changes more than your health.
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<div><strong>It changes your identity.</strong>
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<div>Why I’m asking for help
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<div><strong>Here’s the reality most people don’t realize:</strong>
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<div><strong>TMJ joint replacement surgeries are often funded by patients themselves—because the system doesn’t provide the level of care we actually need.</strong>
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<div><strong>The treatment I need is highly specialized—and not fully covered by insurance.</strong>
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<div><strong>I am raising funds to:</strong>
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<div><strong>undergo critical surgical treatment</strong>
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<div><strong>cover out-of-pocket medical expenses</strong>
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<div><strong>restore function, stability, and quality of life</strong>
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<div><strong>Because without treatment, this condition will continue to progress. Leading to permanent disfigurement, loss of jaw function, airway complications, and skull-base damage. </strong>
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<div>Why I’m sharing this publicly
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<div>This isn’t just about me.
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<div>It’s about how often women are:
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<div>dismissed
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<div>misdiagnosed
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<div>told it’s “just stress”
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<div>It’s about conditions that fall through the cracks of our healthcare system—and the patients who get left behind because of it.
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<div>By the time many of us are finally taken seriously…
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<div>it’s already advanced.
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<div>That has to change.
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<div>If you’re here, thank you
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<div>Whether you donate, share, or simply take the time to read this—it means more than I can put into words.
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<div>You’re helping bring visibility to something that too often goes unseen.
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<div>With gratitude,
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<div>Stacey
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My Jaw Is Collapsing—and I’m Fighting to Save My Voice

<div>(MOST RECENT UPDATES WILL BE POSTED AT THE BOTTOM - Last update: 8/12/23)
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<div>Hi, my name is Renee (LaRoche) Fast and I’m fundraising for my brother Preston LaRoche. He has lived in Lahaina on Maui for somewhere close to 30 years now. And as you may know by now, devastating wildfires have ripped through Maui overnight on August 8th and continue to ravage the island at this time (Aug 9th). Dry conditions and high winds from Hurricane Dora offshore created the perfect storm. Preston is now without a place to live and his place of employment no longer exists.
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<div>He says that everything is gone in Lahaina. He is SAFE but only has his car for shelter at the moment. So many people are without their homes and places of employment and I have no idea what the food supply looks like right now. Of course, the residents will need to figure out how to move forward, but the fires are still raging and figuring that out will surely take time. So, first priories first.
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<div>As Preston’s sister, I am just trying to help my brother. If you are feeling generous, Preston would be ever so grateful for your prayers and/or any support offered to him.
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<div>Any and all funds received will go to Preston for food, housing and living expenses, while he figures out a way forward. As I receive updates, I will pass them along. This will be a very long recovery for the residents of Maui.
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<div>Thank you for taking the time to read through this. Please feel free to share this, if you feel moved to do so. And please pray for all of those of Maui! ❤️
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<div>UPDATE: 8/10/23 @ 8pm PT
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<div>You guys….
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<div>THANK YOU!!!
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<div>Thank you for your kind and generous contributions to my brother! ❤️
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<div>He is so blessed to have all of your prayers, well wishes and support. Thank you all!
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<div>I was just in touch with Preston. He is SAFE and staying in his car in Kihei (south end of Maui). He very much fears knowing the names of those who couldn’t make it out. His friends family member is a firefighter and he is told they have collected 256 bodies so far (from the ocean?) and haven't even hit the residents houses yet. There is also a whole squad of firefighters missing. Lahaina is a tiny community. About 1-2 square miles. And he’s been there 30 years or so. Information is trickling out, but without cell service and reliable communication…it’ll be a bit before they really know how bad it is. I will update more as I have meaningful information to share with all of you! ❤️
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<div>In the meantime, thank you so much for helping my family! I will update when I hear more. Love you all! ❤️
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<div>***Update on 8/12/23***
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<div>Preston continues to thank you all for your prayers and generosity!
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<div>The casualty count is in its infancy and Preston is just learning some of the names who did not survive. 
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<div>The Washington State Task Force had 50 members arrive today with 5 Search and Rescue K-9 Teams.
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<div>Preston sent this update and said I can share with all of you as we go:
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<div>“The stories I'm hearing are GNARLY. Cord barely made it. My Tongan friend and his family did not. He's the first casualty that I personally know. The stories are coming out. I didn't go to Safeway that night only because I wasn't sure it had power or if it was open. I chose to go to Wailuku instead. If I found out Safeway was open at that time period. My story would be different I'm sure.” ~ Preston 
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Fundraiser for Preston LaRoche - Lahaina Wildfire

<div>Hello friends, 
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<div>It's Zach and Jamey, owners of <em>The Osider </em>Magazine. On September 28th, 2022 we lost our Editorial Director and Co-Founder, Aaron Schmidt, to brain cancer. Tragically, Aaron's sudden death left his family grieving and unprepared for his passing. We have set up this GoFundMe to give 100% of donations to his two surviving sons, Avery and Kagan.  We are hoping that with donations in any amount from our community, we can raise money for his boys to be supported while they adjust to life without their beloved father.  We thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity during these difficult times for our Osider family. 
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Rich & Gretchen Fletcher