Friends, Family, and Angels,

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I am writing this to ask if you could contribute, in any amount, to assist our family in affording vital TMJ surgery for our daughter, Luna Stanford. 

Luna's Story:

Luna had been complaining about increasing pain in her jaw and shoulder since April of this year, and more recently, daily headaches. She had also noticed that she could not open her mouth very wide without causing her a sharp pain. So, we asked about it at her annual physical and the doctor dismissed it as TMJ. "Take some ibuprofen and it should be fine…”

After consulting with her dentist, we were referred to Jacksonville specialist Dr. Margaret Dennis, who had Luna get an MRI. At this appointment, we learned that at some point during Luna's childhood she had sustained a traumatic jaw injury which caused the discs in the joint, particularly on the right side, to slip out of place, and subsequently, the bone being out of its regular place was never able to grow properly. She told us that surgery would be necessary.

She recommended that we schedule an appointment with specialist Dr. Brian Shah, immediately. He is the only doctor in the world that performs this surgery on children.

We went to St. Petersburg, FL to consult with Dr. Brian Shah. (10/24/23)

He confirmed that Luna's discs in her jaw have both slipped out of place. The left disc seems to be a bit more functional and is providing some protection to the bone. However, the right one has been impacted and looks like a folded-up butterfly. It is bone on bone, which is why when she feels pain whenever she opens her mouth. 

Unfortunately, in Luna's situation the bones of her lower mandible are still showing signs of growth. Her top mandible is too small, and the orthodontics done at age 9 have slanted her top teeth to an angle which is unnatural for her genetic bite.

Dr. Shah stated that this is going to be a 2-step surgery process... :(

The first surgery will be to repair the discs and get her out of pain. Dr. Shah feels he can repair the left side. The right side he wants to try to repair first because it is still the best option for the body. However, if the right disc cannot be repaired, then he will take cells from the abdomen and use them to replace the disc so that there is a cartilage cushion for the joint. He is also going to take out her two bottom wisdom teeth at the same time to prevent them from disturbing the work done on her jaw.

This surgery will require that we stay for 2 weeks in St. Pete and then travel back and forth for many adjustments and checkups every 3 months. Luna is going to require special orthodontic buttons and a bite plate to hold her jaw in place while it is healing and the whole process will take up to about 18 months. It's going to be a long road, but it's better that we confront this head on because the longer we wait, the more permanent damage could be sustained.

The first available dates for surgery are in April of 2024, so at least there is some time to prepare.

...THEN, after all of this, and once her lower jaw has finished growing, she will need to have a second surgery to correct the top mandible to fit the lower. This could happen around age 17.

It is all, as you can imagine, overwhelming. 

What this Means:

This doctor, and ALL the connected specialists - like orthodontics and chiropractic - are fee-for-service specialists and therefore all payments have to be made in advance of the service. We are able to do our own filing afterward with our insurance company, but as they have repeatedly iterated, there is no guarantee that we will see any reimbursement.

On Friday (10/27/23), we received the financial information about how much this first surgery will cost, and with the doctor's fees, cost of the surgery and travel expenses, the estimate is $75,000. After mindful prayers and conversation, Richard and I have realized that we cannot do this alone. We needed to reach out and ask for help.

Our current fundraising goal only includes the costs for the first surgery and associated medical requirements that are part of the process. We have no idea what the second surgery will cost in 3 years.

We humbly accept your generosity and support during this time and thank you kindly from the bottom of our hearts for anything which you may be able to provide to help our daughter. 

Alexia and Richard Stanford