Cancer Diagnoses, Lost Teeth, and Stingy Insurance
Alex’s first bout with cancer began at the age of four. A stage four cancer diagnosis made it seem unlikely that he would make it, but he did. When he was recently diagnosed with cancer a second time, though, he underwent aggressive treatment that may have killed his cancer (he’ll find out for sure in October), but it also killed his teeth.
The insurance company covered the removal of the dead teeth, but they didn’t want to cover his dentures, which they described as a cosmetic issue, not a medical one.
A Bright Outlook on a Hard Life
However, despite the seeming unfairness of a double cancer diagnosis and the insurance company refusal, Alex has always maintained a cheerful outlook. His grandmother remembers how as a child he kept them all hopeful, “When we were down, he was always up. He would say grandma let’s pray, I’m in pain and so we would pray.”
And although the present situation may seem rough, too, he maintains a cheerful perspective about the future and wants to leverage his experience in a positive way, “I want to be a counselor, I want to major in psychology and sociology so I can help others.”
Charities, A Raffle, and Donations
Knowing they couldn’t afford dentures, Alex’s family first applied to several charities for assistance, but they found that the qualifications for many of the charities were quite restrictive. Then the family attempted to hold a raffle for the money. Finally, they went online and asked for donation, and received more than enough–more than $16,000 at last count.
Cancer treatment is unfortunately a common reason why people lose their teeth. If you are a cancer survivor who is looking for dentures that can give you the confident smile of a survivor, please contact a local FOY® Dentures dentist.
