To know Earl is to love him – Yes, that’s his real swag in the photo, before osteoarthritis took his teeth six months ago.
Here’s the story: Earl has been managing osteoarthritis for nearly three decades. Three knee surgeries starting in 2007. First hip replacement in 2011. Double carpal tunnel surgery. Pain injections every three months since 2018 for his shoulders and spine. Last year, he needed a second hip replacement – but surgeons wouldn’t operate until his teeth were removed. The arthritis has compromised his jaw so badly that risk of infection was too high.
Despite what the TV ads say – we’ve hit a dead end finding financing options to replace them. $22K for teeth may seem high, but if you’ve looked into full set implants, you know that’s actually at the low end of any option out there! We are partway in on the process but need a lift to get us there.
For context: Earl was an athlete and aerobics instructor who spent his career in political science, affordable housing advocacy, and community organizing. He mentored young people. He showed up when others needed help. With his limited mobility and inability to work outside the home, I have been holding it down–rent, bills, college expenses, etc. while navigating a two-year job search. We are making it, but the balance of the $22K investment isn’t something we can cover right now.
What this means: $16K to restore Earl’s teeth means increasing his ability to find phone work from home (his most reliable source of income now), eat burgers, wings and ribs again, boost his sense of self and regain his confidence in socializing.
We understand personal challenge and have helped others needing a lift to navigate systems for years. Right now, we are asking those who can to throw down for what Earl needs.
Join team Earl ( and Heidi)! Contribute what you can. Share this. Tag someone. And thanks in advance for helping spread the word.