In my last blog (here), I wrote about how I am a walking miracle; how, by falling the exact way God and His angels guided me, I escaped death by inches. The last some of you heard from me, I was in a Romanian hospital after having just had surgery to remove teeth and pull down my gums. So what happened afterward? Well, I will tell you. As always, my story is one of continuing stages exemplifying our God as a god of details and provision. I am in awe of how every step of the way, God shows up in the glory of His divine plan.
My accident was on Wednesday, June 18th. The next day I had surgery with an excellent staff specializing in the mouth and teeth, who also spoke English very well. They were the first example of an answer to prayer and under their capable hands I was at ease, in good spirits, and never in pain. The prayers of healing I received from everyone all over the world were also answered. Under the supervision of the hospital staff, it was remarked that I was healing incredibly well- without infection.
By the following Monday, June 23rd, it was clear there was no need for me to stay in the hospital, and I was released to go back to my mission home with the rest of my team and squad. I was able to stay Tuesday with my team, to have a beautiful final visit and lunch party with Costel and our lovely Osica family, and to pack and get ready to go back to the States. It was decided that since my healing, eating, and the quality of hospital facilities available in Albania were all unpredictable, it would be best for me to go back to America where my health could be monitored under more sanitary and restful conditions than the Race could provide. This gave me one day to prepare for my flight out of Romania on Wednesday, June 25th. I would leave the Race with the most beautiful celebration of my life, as my squad and incredible friends sent me off with prayer, encouragement, hugs, laughter, and of course, tears. It was wonderful to be able to worship and give thanks to an awesome God for the time we had spent together, and they way He had used the unpredictable exit to His glory.
I left immediately after the celebration to drive 4 hours to the Bucharest airport where I would start the 4 flights and 35 hour travel day to get home. With my body still under the stress and trauma of the accident, it only by the Grace of God that I was able to make it through each transfer and each flight on the way home. Because of the slight concussion I probably suffered, I experienced some motion sickness, but God was good and let me sleep through most of the flights. (Coming home was scary for me. I knew I had to get treatment, had to find someone to take care of my teeth, but had absolutely NO IDEA where to start. I was reassured that because of Hollywood, LA had to have the best of the best that could take care of me, but my family and I were pretty clueless how to go about the whole process. Yet as I said, God provides.) During my last layover home in Phoenix, I checked my messages and found the most wonderful and exciting blessing. A lovely friend from my high school cross country team messaged me. Her sister was a dentist that had graduated with her Masters from USC, and she had a good friend who had also graduated with her and was currently working with world famous Periodontists at UCLA. He is a gracious and Godly man, and although he was booked for the next several months, he had ONE opening the next day and wanted to give it to me! It was perfect! Not only was there provision of the best of the best coming to ME and wanting to take my case, but the provision was immediate! BEFORE I even got back home to California!
I finally made it home late Thursday night on June 27th, and the next afternoon I found myself in the office of an incredibly humble, gentle, and gracious man of God. He examined me, shared my case briefly with the men who had written the textbooks on my type of injuries, and assured me that they would confer, figure out the best way to handle my healing and reconstructive process, and I would get the best care possible. He told me that it would be a long process; I would need time to heal, would have to have several bone graph surgeries to build up the bone lost in my jaw, and only after that would start the process of getting teeth implants. He informed me he knew a trustworthy dental technician he works closely with for the teeth implants, and would refer me (while also trying to get the cost as low as possible while still getting the best quality and care). God provided me with an incredible doctor who would manage and orchestrate my case, connecting me with the people and services I need to be best taken care of, and taking all the guess-work out of the process for my parents and I. What a huge reassurance and relief. So you see, it has been so evident, even after the accident, God is so good!
But here is the thing, the multiple doctor visits, the operations, a set or denture-like teeth before I can get permanent implants, the cost of the multiple bone graphs, and the FIVE permanent teeth implants (including my two front teeth) are not cheap, and because teeth implants are considered cosmetic, are unfortunately NOT covered by insurance. While I won’t give you an exact figure, the total could easily come out to more than the $16,000 I needed to go on The Race. So I need your help! July 5th is my birthday, and the BEST present would be if you would help give me the gift of TEETH!!! So if you would like to GIFT me with a blessing for my birthday, I have set up a Pay-Pal account HERE. If you click on the link, it will take you to a transfer of funds page. All you need to do is
#1 put my email: [email protected] in the first box
#2 put the amount you wish to give as a gift
#3 sign up for a paypal account (its REALLY quick and easy, I promise. *If you do a direct deposit or transfer from a Pay-Pay account the money is transferred for free, if you transfer through a debit account there will be a 3% charge, that it WILL warn you about).
orrrrrr, if you would rather not send a gift via paypal, you can send a check in the mail to my address
6167 Loma Avenue Temple City, California United States 91780
with “gift” on the memo line (so I don’t have to pay income tax on it)
Even just $40 will help me to pay for the cost of each appointment visit, so every little present helps! Thank you in advance for whatever gift you are able to make toward my GET KAT TEETH FUND. Even if you are not able to give, sharing this page and my story with others helps spread my cause too!
But beyond money, thank you so VERY much for all of your prayers, love and support, for sharing my story, for asking others to join you in prayer on my behalf, and for the encouragement you have given to me and my squad-mates along the way. I have felt so loved and cannot express how incredibly well you all have blessed me so far! As said many times, God is a good god of provision and grace, and I am so excited to see how this process continues to glorify Him and His perfect plan. I will try and keep everyone updated, so don’t forget to either subscribe to me, or check in to see where my status is. Love you all! THANKKKK YOUUUUUU!!!!!
