Samuel worked hard as a Sales Rep for many years in California. He was successful, independent and proud of his work. When he was 51, all that came crashing down. First, he lost his job, then his home. During this difficult time, he also lost almost all his teeth. With a job, he could have paid for the dental work to replace them. But without that income, he was left without teeth. Losing his smile also stole his self-confidence.
Looking back on this time in his life, Samuel shared, “I was in a bad place. I had a
complete mental breakdown.”
Samuel turned to family. He took the train up from California with nothing but a backpack and came to Boise to live with his brother.
Samuel’s brother reached out to the caring volunteers at Genesis. With assistance from the MK Foundation and Dr. Hisel, founder of Genesis’ Dental program, we were able to provide him with dentures and restore his smile.
Samuel said, “Before Genesis, I didn’t like talking to people and my self-esteem was really low. But you gave me back my smile! I can eat better now! You helped me in my time of need, and I am very thankful for the opportunity you gave me.”
He also received counseling at Genesis to help him work through the depression. Samuel shared, “The counseling was fantastic. To get help with mental health and things like that helped steer me in the right direction.” Today, Samuel is working toward securing new employment—with a confident new smile.
To all the volunteers and donors at Genesis, he said, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for giving me this chance to help me turn my life around.”
Adam, a patient in his early thirties, came into Genesis Community Health for a routine exam by a volunteer primary care physician. The physician noticed a concerning skin discoloration on Adam’s neck and recommended he see a dermatologist immediately to have the area evaluated. Through the Genesis Volunteer Physician Network (VPN), Adam was able to meet with a dermatologist who recommended a skin biopsy.
