Smile Forward® helps struggling families

The Middletons have had a bumpy ride over the last several years. But with the Smile Forward® program, their children were able to get care at the ASDOH Dental Clinic. For Melvin and Amber Middleton, life has been full of challenges. Despite 17 surgeries in the last decade, Melvin has worked hard to provide for his young family until he was diagnosed with partial blindness and chronic kidney disease in 2009. “My children need so much help, and I am at a stage where I cannot provide anything to them. This has impacted my self-esteem,” he said. The couple’s children, Mackenzie Middleton (9) and Alrae Middleton (7), recently received care at ASDOH’s pediatric dental clinic thanks to the Smile Forward® program. Smile Forward® provides oral healthcare for children, families and individuals with little or no dental insurance benefits who demonstrate need. “I was initially nervous when I heard that the children will be treated at a dental school. But today, I feel much better. I have received double the care from competent students and faculty,” Amber said. “The students take time to talk to our children, they know their language and are very compassionate, and the doctors took time to patiently listen to our story,” Amber said of ASDOH students and faculty who provided care for the two children. “We are extremely thankful for what we’ve received,” she said. And their eldest daughter Mackenzie is now excited about a trip to the dentist. “How many children will do that?” Melvin asks. During Melvin’s illness, Amber worked two jobs to support the family. In between, she also faced health issues and had surgery. Recently, they moved from Wickenburg to Mesa to live with Amber’s parents. Amber has enrolled in a course to be a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and hopes to get a job and start providing for her family again. She understands that Melvin will be unable to work but hopes that being a nursing assistant will also enable her to take care of her husband. “We had so much going on in our lives during the last 10 years that we couldn’t take care of our kids’ healthcare needs.” Staying at her parents’ home has stripped the children of eligible insurance from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment (AHCCCS) system. “I told them that I will sacrifice my insurance for getting care for my children, but they would not accept that,” Amber said. Today, both children are uninsured and both will need braces at a later stage. They expect to return to ASDOH. “The care we received has meant so much to me,” Amber said. For more information about supporting the Smile Forward® program, please call 480.219.6115 or email IA-Mesa@atsu.edu.