Miss-Delectable
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Community rallies to provide dental surgery for deaf, autistic woman
Everyone predicted it would take at least seven months to raise the $12,000 needed for Heather Stone to see a dentist for the first time in a decade.
The plan was to rake leaves in as many yards and shovel as many snowy sidewalks as possible to raise the money.
Then Stone, a 33-year-old Missoula woman who is blind and has autism, would schedule an appointment for May.
But a mere two months after the raking and snow shoveling began, Stone is scheduled to have nine cavities repaired and five teeth pulled on Jan. 6, thanks largely to an outpouring of generosity from residents in western Montana. She was able to bump up the date of her dental visit after reaching the fundraising goal far ahead of schedule.
“She has extreme pain in her wisdom tooth that keeps her up at night, so it’s a good thing (the hospital) could get her in sooner,” said Treva Bittinger, a friend and organizer of the Neuro Networking Club, of which Stone is a member. Club members helped Stone raise the funds.
Because Stone has autistim and needs so much work on her teeth, she will be hospitalized for her dental repairs.
With help from friends and volunteers, Stone raked 31 yards. The largest yard took 16 hours, two days and 40 bags of leaves, Bittinger said.
The staff at A Carousel for Missoula also hosted a fundraiser for Stone that raised $2,000. Local businesses donated items, which were compiled into baskets and sold in a silent auction. The local country radio station KYSS-FM raffled off an autographed football signed by the entire Grizzly football team on the Craig & Al Morning Show. The football was purchased by a woman from Seeley Lake for $2,500.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by how kind people are,” Bittinger said. “I had no idea that people would be so generous.”
Everyone predicted it would take at least seven months to raise the $12,000 needed for Heather Stone to see a dentist for the first time in a decade.
The plan was to rake leaves in as many yards and shovel as many snowy sidewalks as possible to raise the money.
Then Stone, a 33-year-old Missoula woman who is blind and has autism, would schedule an appointment for May.
But a mere two months after the raking and snow shoveling began, Stone is scheduled to have nine cavities repaired and five teeth pulled on Jan. 6, thanks largely to an outpouring of generosity from residents in western Montana. She was able to bump up the date of her dental visit after reaching the fundraising goal far ahead of schedule.
“She has extreme pain in her wisdom tooth that keeps her up at night, so it’s a good thing (the hospital) could get her in sooner,” said Treva Bittinger, a friend and organizer of the Neuro Networking Club, of which Stone is a member. Club members helped Stone raise the funds.
Because Stone has autistim and needs so much work on her teeth, she will be hospitalized for her dental repairs.
With help from friends and volunteers, Stone raked 31 yards. The largest yard took 16 hours, two days and 40 bags of leaves, Bittinger said.
The staff at A Carousel for Missoula also hosted a fundraiser for Stone that raised $2,000. Local businesses donated items, which were compiled into baskets and sold in a silent auction. The local country radio station KYSS-FM raffled off an autographed football signed by the entire Grizzly football team on the Craig & Al Morning Show. The football was purchased by a woman from Seeley Lake for $2,500.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by how kind people are,” Bittinger said. “I had no idea that people would be so generous.”