Early Friday morning Roxie, her sister and a friend could be
seen waking up in their car. Determined to be among the first in line
at our free dental clinic in Hurley, Virginia, the women parked in Word
Evangelical Outreach Church's parking lot at 9 o'clock the night before.
Roxie had suffered with painful loose teeth for years and couldn't afford
to see a dentist. She wasn't going to let this opportunity pass her by.
During the 2-day dental clinic in September, Roxie was among the 114
patients our volunteer team of dentists, dental assistants and student
dental assistants were able to help in this rural, impoverished area.
Dr. Kustra pulled two of Roxie's teeth. Having a heart to assist those
in need, he had driven down from Milwaukee, Wisconsin!
Buddy, 36, also needed to see a dentist. His teeth had hurt him so much
that he broke them off with his fingers! He was born with Down's Syndrome,
and suffered from scoliosis and diabetes as well. He saw an impatient
dentist several months ago, only to be told that he would have to go under
general anesthesia to have a few of the damaged teeth pulled. Buddy and
his family couldn't afford the $2,500 that it would cost. They couldn't
even afford dental insurance. Buddy left the office still in pain.
This precious patient was so excited to find out about our dental clinic!
Dr. Moore asked Buddy to open his mouth like he did when eating a big
hamburger. Soon, Dr. Moore had removed as many diseased and broken teeth
as was medically possible in one sitting. Although his mouth was packed
full with gauze, Buddy managed to smile with relief for the first time
in a while.
We still have two more dental clinics planned for this year in the United
States! We will be in Portsmouth, Virginia on October 15-16th as well
as Boone, North Carolina on November 12-13th. If you or a dental professional
you know of would be interested in volunteering, please e-mail
us! Or, you can join us in tending the sick by giving a generous gift
towards our medical services program.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Be a part of OBI's ongoing medical relief efforts by making an online contribution to help those suffering from extreme poverty and sickness.
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