Lane is a Father Joe’s Villages program participant and lives in East Village.
I am a talker, but you wouldn’t know that if you’d met me a few years ago. I became homeless due to several circumstances in my life. I was living on the street with few resources. My physical and mental health were compromised and I knew that I needed a higher level of care.
I heard about Father Joe’s Villages and decided to enter one of their programs. I do not remember what led me to take therapy at Father Joe’s Villages, but I am very grateful for having made that decision — it changed my life.
My therapist and I embarked on a difficult task to build a new me. Part of that journey involved fixing something most people take for granted, something we don’t realize is important when navigating the world. That something was my teeth.
While going through the health program, we learned that all 22 of my remaining teeth were loose and needed to be extracted. Every single one of them. This would leave my mouth without any teeth and require dentures. Having always been terrified of the dentist, I was not thrilled with the prospect of prolonged procedures, I had not been to a dentist in 30 years. My therapist gave me the courage to face my fears. Without her, I may not have continued the struggle to improve my health, both physical and mental.
Before participating in the dental program I was navigating a world isolated and alone because of the condition of my teeth. They were damaged and distracting to people. I couldn’t smile or talk because of the way my mouth looked. You could see the expression on people’s faces change when I opened my mouth to talk. It was so easily recognizable. I couldn’t express myself for fear of being viewed as less than others. And even when I felt comfortable enough to talk, people couldn’t always understand what I was saying.
This created a perception of me in others that I was unwell. I wouldn’t say hello back to people, could not share meals, could not communicate how I felt and did not feel confident in engaging others — all because of my teeth. People would immediately judge me and know that I was homeless, which makes it increasingly difficult to navigate out of that space. You begin to feel dejected and hopeless, and this spirals into depression and a state of unwellness that makes getting out of homelessness even more difficult. Something had to change, and my therapist recognized what it was.
I remember the day of my dental appointment and when my dentist, Dr. Parissa Baiera, delivered my dentures. She was kind and patient, my therapist was there to hold my hand, and the procedures went smoothly. I remember when it was done I looked in the mirror and gave a big smile. This opened a whole new world to me.
The first thing I did after my procedure was have a meal with friends. I held my head high, the feeling of being able to connect on a personal level without fear of judgment. I was able to belong in a society where I was once shunned.
My health began to improve as I was able to eat harder food that I couldn’t before. Some of them are my favorite foods! Apples, pears, chicken, steaks and pizzas! The best is corn on the cob, impossible to eat without teeth. With a diverse diet, I was able to get the right nutrition and adjust my weight and overall health.
Such a simple change like teeth can radically alter a person’s mental and physical health. And I thought, if I can do it, anyone can. It is now my mission to help people the way I was. While at the Father Joes’s kitchen, I see people going through challenges I did. I let them know, “I felt what you are feeling, I was there, I lived there.” This personal connection has drawn others to the dental clinic and hopefully improved their lives too.
I regained my motivation and purpose in life. I am very grateful for the services and resources Father Joe’s Villages offers people like me and my community. Now, I donate my time as a volunteer. I am currently an adviser for the Health Services Advisory Board at the medical clinic and have dedicated my time to informing the community about the services they can utilize. I want everyone to have a big smile like me.
