I’ve spent most of my life pushing through pain quietly.

Growing up, I never had regular access to dental care. I was born with a small jaw and severely crowded teeth, and over the years the pain has become constant. Eating has become difficult. At the precipice of turning 50, my wisdom teeth have been making things worse. An orthodontist recently told me that the work needed to restore basic function — to simply eat without pain — will cost around $9,000.

This isn’t cosmetic. This is about being able to chew food, speak comfortably, and live without daily jaw pain.

As a woman of color who grew up low‑income and under‑resourced, I’ve spent years navigating systems where people like me often go unseen. I’ve carried responsibilities that rarely make it into the official story — raising two children with special needs, managing chronic pain, depression, and eating struggles, and pushing through a 17‑year educational journey to become a psychologist. Three years ago, I failed my clinical residency due to health issues. It was devastating, and it felt like disappearing all over again.

I’ve been working to rebuild my life and return to the work I love, but my health challenges have made that road steep. Fixing my teeth is a major hurdles keeping me from moving forward — from eating without pain, from speaking comfortably, from returning to clinical work, and from reclaiming the future I’ve fought so hard for.

Asking for help is not easy. Visibility has never come easily. But I’m choosing to be seen now — not as a burden, but as someone who has carried a great deal and is still trying to move toward healing, stability, and service.

If you’re able to help — whether through donating or sharing — it would mean more than I can express. Every bit brings me closer to living without pain and to stepping back into the work I’m meant to do.

Thank you for seeing me, for supporting me, and for helping me take this next step.