Help give Steph her smile back

Hello all,

I come to you today on behalf of one of my best friends, Steph Melson. Steph is an amazing human who has had an unfair shake at the last few years. She'd always suffered from intense headaches but then it was discovered that she had a tumor growing on her pituitary gland. As taking a biopsy would require the same invasive steps as removing it, it was removed. Thankfully, it was benign but as you can imagine, anything impacting the pituitary gland (and the brain around it) is going to have tremendous ramifications on the rest of the body and the rest of one's life.

Steph has had a long recovery, including having to resign her teaching position (and therefore a loss of income) and the ongoing medical bills for her care, but is beginning to feel like herself in a lot of ways, including returning to the classroom. Except one thing is permanently changed. Part of the treatments and hormones she's having to take and the doctors are constantly trying to adjust due to the damage to the pituitary gland has had the unintended consequence of causing intense dental damage. At 42, Steph needs a full set of dental implants. But because the need was not caused by an accident or TMJ, insurance refuses to pay for it.

Steph finds eating most foods physically painful. Smiling is emotionally painful as her students ask her if she doesn't brush her teeth. (She does and always has.) She's literally lost her smile, through no fault of her own. She told me the other day, "I just want my smile back."

If you feel so inclined to help one of my dearest friends to regain something as fundamental as her smile, the confidence and the sense of self that accompanies it (as well as teeth that will allow her to eat without pain), I thank you for your generosity. If you are willing to share this so we can reach more kind folks, I would appreciate that effort as well.

Thank you for your love and kindness! (Picture of Steph from before the medication took her smile.)