Global Dental Relief in Guatemala

This year has been full of joy and progress for me; I have received many blessings. Freshman year of College, while I resided at Texas A&M, I was in a constant state of inward reflection to find what job best suited my capabilities, talents and strengths. I came to understand what I already knew - that I am outgoing, fun, friendly, energetic, and exuberant, yet also meticulous, driven, focused and a perfectionist (when its needed). I am precise, organized, diligent, and a good leader, yet also easygoing, sociable, and amenable. Include the fact that I am intelligent, wise beyond my years as I am told, and absolutely love children (and am one myself), I came to find – or as I believe, given – the perfect job: Children’s Dentistry. I say all these things because I am asking for support, and I feel it is very important one knows where I stand as a person of faith, before I do so.

In the summer of 2015, June 5-14, I will be headed to Guatemala, an area responsible for over one quarter of the total immigration of unaccompanied minors into America this year, with over 16,000 children apprehended without any parents. If you want to read more into this issue, this site provides good graphics and details over the matter,http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/15/us/questions-about-the-border-kids.html?_r=0. I will be apart of a program called Global Dental Relief, which has made it their duty to transform lives and cultivate community by promoting volunteerism to bringing free dental care and oral hygieneeducation to thousands of impoverished children in Nepal, India, Guatemala, Vietnam, Kenya and Cambodia. They work primarily with children to give many the opportunities to have their first formal experience with a dentist. Much research has been done to show that a child with a healthy mouth is also more likely to have a healthy life through showing them the importance of self-care, and improving the habits of the youth so that they may carry those habits with them the rest of their lives. Without volunteer dental care, most of these children develop gum disease, bone loss, and infection leading to systemic problems, and chronic pain, most often, to be left untreated for a majority of their lives.They struggle with sleep, eating, schoolwork, and they loose their teeth, smiles and, unfortunately, self-esteem. Global Dental Relief volunteers and Dentists provide critical oral health care and education to children – building smiles in faces across miles for years to come, and their website can be found here, http://globaldentalrelief.org.

Many of the reasons I wish to become a future Dentist, are for the same reasons. The need is so high, and the cause is very close to my heart. There are very few Pediatric Dentists currently, especially with the love, passion, and patience with children that I have, that are practicing in the field today. Children are the stepping stone for the future, and if they aren’t given treatment and more importantly, taught how to take care of their health now, it will lead to them to have numerous health problems later in life.

It is now that I am asking you for a kind donation to help support my trip to Guatemala. For the nine days I will be there, the program costs will be approximately $2300. With dental applications approaching, the Dental Admissions Test to be taken later this year, being a president in two clubs, doing independent research in the biology department, and being a leader in the Church, I am unable to have a job, so this trip will be supplied completely off of donations.

If you could take a minute to further look into the Global Dental Relief program, as well as the problem children are having in rural Guatemala currently, I’m sure that will help give you much needed background information, as well as further educate you to what the donation will be used for. Please pray about it, and I am confident, with whatever happens, God always provides.