Appalachian Dental Mission Has Ties with Troops
Life has an interesting way of intertwining people with similar
situations together at random times. Such was the case last weekend during
Operation Blessing and Shelter Rock Ministries’ second dental mission
in Boone, North Carolina. As the welfare of our troops are on our hearts,
see how those who are left behind are coping with life’s challenges
as well as contributing to those in need.
In just two days, 16 dedicated medical professionals provided 192 patients
of all ages with free cleanings, fillings and extractions. At the end
of their visit, volunteers gave each patient a bag of powdered milk, toothbrushes,
toothpaste, mouthwash, a whitening kit and gum. Even though many had their
mouths packed with gauze, they couldn’t keep from expressing their
thanks. Precious people like Sandra.
A Soldier’s Mother
Several years ago Sandra’s husband was in a terrible accident and
suffered a spinal injury leaving him permanently disabled. This forced
the family to survive on Sandra’s income from cleaning houses and
live without much insurance. In the midst of this transition, one of her
two sons joined the Army. He has been serving our country in Iraq for
more than eight months now. To complicate the already stressful situation,
Sandra severely broke an arm and had to stop working until it healed.
Then something good happened. Sandra found out about our dental mission!
It had been a while since she had seen a dentist, and she knew a couple
of teeth needed to be filled or pulled. “This is a wonderful thing
that you all are doing,” she said while waiting in the dental chair.
Retired Serviceman Volunteers
John sat across the room from Sandra typing patient information into our
database. Retired from the Air Force and having lived in Saudi Arabia
for seven years, he knew first-hand what Sandra’s family was going
through. It has been only a few months since John had moved his family
back to the US. Originally from Boston, he and his wife decided to settle
in the mountains. They happily help Shelter Rock out as much as possible.
Pre Dental Student Has Compassion
Ashley, a junior at UNC at Chapel Hill, was back cleaning instruments
in the sterilization room on Saturday afternoon. She had driven 2 hours
on the weekend before exams to see how serious the need for free dental
care really was in Boone. After she graduates from undergrad next year,
Ashley will go on to study dentistry. She looks forward to using her education
around the world through mission trips and free clinics. “I like
teeth and helping people,” she shared. Ashley is also heavily involved
in the Carolina Troop Supporters, which sends care packages and letters
to our troops stationed in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.
You Can Prescribe Life
There are still many children and adults living within our borders that
can’t afford basic medical and dental care. You can help them by
giving towards our medical services program today.
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