04/12/2026
This weekend was the Arkansas Mission of Mercy. Two very busy days of free dental care for people across our state. I’ve worked this event several times over the last 20 years, and every time I leave with something that stays with me.
Among the many patients I saw in the numbing section this weekend was a mother and her son.
The mother was in her late thirties, rail thin and frail. I remember being suprised when I saw her age on the chart. She looked so much older. Every tooth in her mouth was decayed to the gumline. She was shy and soft-spoken and wouldn't look me in the eye. She was there to get as many teeth extracted as possible.
Her son, 19, used a wheelchair and was unable to use his hands or arms. He was there to have a single wisdom tooth removed. He was quick to chat, charismatic and obviously very bright.
His teeth were beautiful. Clean, healthy, white.
Knowing he could not manage his own oral care, I asked him about his routine. He told me his mother brushes his teeth twice a day with an electric toothbrush.I looked back at her, and she gave me the saddest little smile.
I told her she was a good mom.
By the time I met them, it was around 1:00 in the afternoon. They had been there since 3:00 am.
It’s easy to live in a bubble where everyone around us seems comfortable and cared for. But the reality is that there are people in our own communities facing struggles most of us cannot imagine. Poverty, pain, transportation barriers, caregiving burdens, and years without access to dental care.
And sometimes, even when people have almost nothing, they are still giving everything they have to someone they love.