Help a pretty girl smile again

ManglerYJ

ManglerYJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Lexington, NC
A friend of mine's daughter has struggled with addiction most of her teen and early adult life. She is now clean and sober and finishing a multi-part program in California that will bring her through her sobriety and put her back into the workforce as a contributing member of society. Between the addictions themselves and the process of getting clean has been particularly rough on her teeth. Coming off heroine apparently makes you crave sugar, and coupling that with the chemical damage done to the body, her teeth are just about all non-salvageable. Since the next stage of her recovery involves getting a job, her smile would turn off most potential employers. This GoFundMe page was established by her mom to help her get dentures or partials for what's left: Click here to support Celebrate Sobriety! I need Teeth by Zoe LaFevers Biller

I have a soft spot for her because I have seen the effects of addiction in my own family and would love for her to be able to smile again. She is a sweet girl and I have worked with her and her mom on several occasions. She made some bad life choices and owns them, but is now faced with the ramifications of her actions. I'd love for her to see that complete strangers can help, just in the way I have seen many of you step up to help people on the trails.

Thanks in advance.
 
How many times has she been in rehab in the past?
 
Ron said:
How many times has she been in rehab in the past?
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I honestly don't know. I just want to help with this if I can by raising awareness. What I do know is that she knows the severity of her actions (the fact that she's 21 and will most likely end up with a full set of dentures). The money raised will go directly to the dentist who has agreed to work with her at a greatly reduced rate and will never see the daughter's hands. This is at her request and for her protection. She just wants to stay clean and sober and I'd like to see that too.
 
Either way hope everything works out well for her, is easy to go from a occasional user to picking up keys, addiction is a bad deal many people will never understand.
 
Just did some digging...looks like she was a very pretty girl at one point, active in cheer competitions, etc. Not to get too personal, but before I donate to things like this, I generally like to know what sent them off the tracks in the first place.
 
What's wrong with her teeth or smile?

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How long have you known her? If she is really on the good track I am all for helping, how long has she been sober?
 
BigClay said:
How long have you known her? If she is really on the good track I am all for helping, how long has she been sober?
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I've known Zoe for about 5 years now (her youngest daughter cheers with my daughter). I first heard of the addiction when she started into rehab about a year ago. I don't know if that has been a steady rehab or broken up. I've never really asked, They are just good people.
 
ManglerYJ said:
I honestly don't know. I just want to help with this if I can by raising awareness. What I do know is that she knows the severity of her actions (the fact that she's 21 and will most likely end up with a full set of dentures). The money raised will go directly to the dentist who has agreed to work with her at a greatly reduced rate and will never see the daughter's hands. This is at her request and for her protection. She just wants to stay clean and sober and I'd like to see that too.
Click to expand...


I posted my response from a cell phone and this is my first chance on a keyboard to flesh out my thoughts and explain the question.

I am very sympathetic to the cause. It hits pretty close to home.
Statistically speaking rehab has about a 20% success rate for opiates and a 5 year sobriety. If this is their 2nd or greater attempt at rehab that success rate drops to less than 1%. I want and am willing and able to help your friend, but I also recognize the responsibility to be a good steward of the money entrusted to me. I'd like to help, but I want to make sure I am helping.

On my conscious is the dear friend who went through heroine, methodone, suboxedone, benzo, back to heroine cycle.
The last time I saw him he stopped by my house December 20th 2014. He looked good. He looked clean. We had a good conversation he was lucent and solid. He was getting an apartment, he needed a place to stay. I wasn't willing to bring his history into my home with my young kids. I called the landlord he was going to rent from, a long time family friend, he said his credit was good and hee just needed the deposit to rent the place to him. I gave my friend $1,500 that afternoon. I told his it wasn't a loan I didn't want repayed. It was my gift and for him to pay it forward. I'll never forget the feelings of his tears on my cheek when he hugged me. They found him Christmas morning. He had OD'd one time too many. They estimated he had been dead 4-5 days...
 
Ron said:
I posted my response from a cell phone and this is my first chance on a keyboard to flesh out my thoughts and explain the question.

I am very sympathetic to the cause. It hits pretty close to home.
Statistically speaking rehab has about a 20% success rate for opiates and a 5 year sobriety. If this is their 2nd or greater attempt at rehab that success rate drops to less than 1%. I want and am willing and able to help your friend, but I also recognize the responsibility to be a good steward of the money entrusted to me. I'd like to help, but I want to make sure I am helping.

On my conscious is the dear friend who went through heroine, methodone, suboxedone, benzo, back to heroine cycle.
The last time I saw him he stopped by my house December 20th 2014. He looked good. He looked clean. We had a good conversation he was lucent and solid. He was getting an apartment, he needed a place to stay. I wasn't willing to bring his history into my home with my young kids. I called the landlord he was going to rent from, a long time family friend, he said his credit was good and hee just needed the deposit to rent the place to him. I gave my friend $1,500 that afternoon. I told his it wasn't a loan I didn't want repayed. It was my gift and for him to pay it forward. I'll never forget the feelings of his tears on my cheek when he hugged me. They found him Christmas morning. He had OD'd one time too many. They estimated he had been dead 4-5 days...
Click to expand...
I went through rehab many years ago(27), unfortunately this is how the scenario plays out 99% of the time...Most everyone I was there with didn't ale it and ended up dead or in prison.
 
Ron said:
I posted my response from a cell phone and this is my first chance on a keyboard to flesh out my thoughts and explain the question.

I am very sympathetic to the cause. It hits pretty close to home.
Statistically speaking rehab has about a 20% success rate for opiates and a 5 year sobriety. If this is their 2nd or greater attempt at rehab that success rate drops to less than 1%. I want and am willing and able to help your friend, but I also recognize the responsibility to be a good steward of the money entrusted to me. I'd like to help, but I want to make sure I am helping.

On my conscious is the dear friend who went through heroine, methodone, suboxedone, benzo, back to heroine cycle.
The last time I saw him he stopped by my house December 20th 2014. He looked good. He looked clean. We had a good conversation he was lucent and solid. He was getting an apartment, he needed a place to stay. I wasn't willing to bring his history into my home with my young kids. I called the landlord he was going to rent from, a long time family friend, he said his credit was good and hee just needed the deposit to rent the place to him. I gave my friend $1,500 that afternoon. I told his it wasn't a loan I didn't want repayed. It was my gift and for him to pay it forward. I'll never forget the feelings of his tears on my cheek when he hugged me. They found him Christmas morning. He had OD'd one time too many. They estimated he had been dead 4-5 days...
Click to expand...

BIGWOODY said:
I went through rehab many years ago(27), unfortunately this is how the scenario plays out 99% of the time...Most everyone I was there with didn't ale it and ended up dead or in prison.
Click to expand...

One of the main reasons that Zoe is doing it this way is that the money will never see her daughter's hands. That is one of the worst things someone can do for an addict is to hand them money. Provide them with the things they need, sure, but do it in a way that they never see the money and can't get it back (i.e. take stuff back to the store, sell it, etc.). My ex-wife had a cousin that was an addict and he was one of the best salesmen I've ever met. He would sell you a story that was SO believable as to why they need money that he made you feel selfish for not handing him cash. He even had stolen a van from a pastor who had agreed to help, which he attempted to sell for drug money. Trust me, I know all about that, and it was devastating when I heard what Zoe was going through because I've seen it first hand. I immediately thought - "NO... anyone but you."

I hope that some of you guys are in a position to help. Personally, I'm not capable of helping any more than I already have. If I could write a check for the whole amount, I'd do so in a heartbeat because I believe in Zoe. An addict's word is shaky at best. If it weren't for Zoe backing her up, she wouldn't have a chance. I just want to see her get that chance,
 
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