Our Patient and Her Triumph Over Addiction
Hi Everyone,
I have wanted to share this story with you in case there is room in your life to help another person.
Over the last couple of years, we have been seeing a patient from the Smile Again program through MDDS. I will call her Sarah. Sarah came to us with a history of addiction, having been in an abusive relationship and was living in a recovery facility in Denver. We were not even able to call her directly on the phone and did not know her real name, which made scheduling appointments a relay phone game.
She was quiet, friendly and wanted to have a beautiful smile. Her struggles took their toll on her teeth and her overall health. She is a charmer and we all fell in love with her immediately. She loved to come to our office where we enjoyed pampering patients with "little extras" like hot chocolate and neck warmers. She showed up to her appointments, as promised, and as the improvements to her smile began, her transformation began to take place. The patient who was once sort of quiet and shy began to share with us the history of her struggle, the fact that she has children and even a grandchild and how much it meant to her to really get her life on track. Our relationship with Sarah over the last two years has taught us that taking a leap of faith and believing in someone can make all the difference in the world. And I believe she has enriched our lives as much or more than we have enriched hers.
Today, Sarah attends college to become a psychologist in order to help others who have faced similar struggles. And though her program has ended, she is still our patient and our friend.
We are Grateful,
Kristine