Veeka needs $8K worth of braces

We are a family of two: Me, a freelance writer in the Seattle area and my 11-year-old daughter, Veeka. During our salad days, I was a full-time journalist and college prof but because of family reasons, we moved to the Seattle area more than a year ago. Since then I (the mom) have freelanced for blogs, newspapers and magazines and do substitute teaching, but things are beyond tight.
Last spring, I was told Veeka had to have braces plus oral surgery to retrieve a wayward tooth that will cause major problems if not addressed. This is not cosmetic, this is truly needed. The total bill is at least $8,000 and insurance picks up none of it. 

Then her eye doctor (she just got glasses thanks to Obamacare), told me she needs about $3K worth of visual therapy, which also isn't covered by insurance. She should have gotten started on the braces this summer, but I am simply not making enough to pay for that. 

So, I'm asking my friends for help. I'd like to get at least $2,000 of  that amount pledged before I plunk down the $500 downpayment to the orthodontist and sign a contract saying the rest of the money will be forthcoming.  By the way, the estimate was the lowest I got for what needed to be done. 

For anyone who contributes $75 or more, I can make you one of my handmade Texas star trivet/potholders, which I'm happy to make to order. Tell me the colors you'd like, or I can send you one of my themed ones already on hand (ie Seahawks, Alaska, Christmas). They take about 15 hours to make, so they're quite nice. One of my Seahawks ones is on display here. I can also make one that goes along with your favorite sports team if you send me a yard of the fabric!
So dear friends, in this season of giving, if you can be of assistance, we'd be so grateful. I have put off and put off doing this, but the longer I wait, the harder it will be for the braces to do their job. So the time is now.