Paula's emergency dental fund

We are making this GoFundMe for our friend Paula. She is a hardworking single mom who already has been working multiple jobs to provide a happy life for her daughter Alice. She has had an extra rough few months, and her independence makes it hard for her to ask for help.

Paula was violently assaulted the night before thanksgiving and had her phone and wallet stolen. So instead of taking Alice to Missouri to see her grandfather for the first time in years and the rest of her family, Paula spent thanksgiving in the ER with a fractured face and without a way to contact her family.

Instead of searching for a safe and affordable place to live following her abrupt tenancy termination only 10 days prior to the assault, she was borrowing phones to cancel credit cards and file police reports.

Instead of going out Christmas shopping, she was scheduling out of pocket emergency dental surgery & procedures due to her front tooth having been knocked out. Instead of picking up extra shifts to help cover the bills, she was forced to stay home and recover, bruised, bleeding and concussed.

Paula is now mostly recovered and back to working around the clock to get back on her feet, picking up side jobs cleaning homes in addition to bartending and managing the office at her fulltime job, all while moving into a new apartment and caring for her daughter. The dental bills have already piled up between the emergency visit following the attack, bone grafting, a root canal and countless follow up appointments and consultations to discuss future treatment plans.

She's one of the hardest working people I know, but unfortunately due to all the unforeseen expenses it's still not enough. The full treatment for a permanent tooth implant once started would be a 30-month process involving wisdom teeth extraction, comprehensive braces, and metal hardware and would cost thousands more than she could afford anytime soon. She has chosen to put this off until she knows where the funds will come from but is hoping to be able to get a temporary fix in the meantime. It will be $3,500.00 just for the upper braces with a temporary tooth, which is still a large and unexpected financial burden.

Having a broken smile not only is painful, but it is mentally & emotionally challenging, for both Paula and her daughter, who is used to her mom’s laugh, smile, confidence and positivity. Please consider donating to help Paula get her smile back, so she can continue making happy memories with her family and daughter this new year. Even small $5 donations add up.

We're hoping through this she will be able to find a little respite and start the new year off on an encouraging foot with her daughter, Alice, who has been such a strong & resilient kid through all of this.

Thank you to all who took the time to read this and to those who are able to help in any way!