Jake Needs Dental Surgery

A message from our friend Jake:

I've lost my smile. I want it back. You can help.

Hi. My name is Jake McCluskey.

I’m a licensed run coach, bartender and known round Silicon Valley as a huge beer enthusiast. My running coach business is called Run With Jake and is focused on helping people achieve their running goals, no matter if they’re a first time runner or someone who wants to take their running to the next level. You can read more about me and Run With Jake on my website.

I love doing what I do, even though it doesn't make a lot of money. I love watching people achieve their goals because they believe in themselves and have pushed themselves to do things they never thought they could. Running has an awesome effect on everyone.

One of my job skill is running. Luckily, I'm good at it and really love it. I’ve particularly loved running for good causes and more recently seeing almost every public street in the great City of San Jose. I'm really good at building run plans and I'm really good at preparing people for marathons and races.

So, if I can't be a run coach, it's devastating both personally and financially. And that's what's I’d like to prevent from happening. I literally need all new teeth.

Life has kicked me in the teeth a few times before and I’m not interested in allowing my teeth to kick me back.

These past few months, I got more serious about my dental health and visited several dentists to see what my options were. Because of my financial situation, it was my first real dentist's visit ever. I've spent the past several years in constant mouth pain either from overall gum disease or the actual searing pain of infected teeth and gums. Needless to say, I knew it wasn't going to be good.

Right away, with some help from a few friends, I was able to have some teeth extracted that were becoming very very bad and as the dentist put it was ‘oozing poison into my body.’ - Yeah, not good.

Bottom line is that I have advanced gum disease and severe tooth decay. All of my teeth and gums are in very bad shape and I need to have them all removed to stay alive. Yes, it’s that serious.

Unfortunately, pulling out ALL my teeth and getting dentures will be a minimum of $15,000, while getting dental implants would be over $40,000.

Like most of you, I don't have that kind of money just lying around. I'm also unlikely to ever be able to afford the dental implant procedure. So my teeth will just continue to get worse and worse and eventually the inevitable happens.

But, before that, I’ll have many days like today - infected teeth and gums causing so much pain I can’t eat, let alone want to smile….

As you can understand, this is also psychologically devastating. I've been struggling with this news for the past few weeks. I often struggle with anxiety in various ways and sleepless nights. Just the thought losing my life over poor dental health had me on the verge of tears.

It's also completely my own fault for not taking care of myself. Even though I've started brushing regularly, a twice daily regime is not enough, especially for people like me who are in the "risk group" and are more likely than others to contract these diseases.

I looked at all options - dentures, implants, trips out of country to other dentists, local dental colleges where the work can be done cheaper, etc. But regardless of the decision made and the procedure done, it all costs money. Money I simply don't have.

Several friends have suggested I start this campaign. Those of you who know me know how hard this is. Many of you have (rightfully) pointed out I need to "swallow your pride and set up that website to get funds".

And they are right. So here I am.

I’m nervous and don't know if this campaign will work and I honestly don't know what to expect but every little bit can and will help.

While I can’t promise to pay you back I will promise to pay it forward.