Known to friends and family as Yazzy, Yazmina was just a young girl in Wyoming when the many dental procedures began.
Born with a common genetic condition called hypodontia, she was missing one of her adult eye teeth. Over time, her jawbone developed a gap where the root of the missing tooth would have been.
Closing the gap
Yazzy bravely endured a series of dental treatments over the years. Sadly, she became so self-conscious that she rarely smiled.
There were all sorts of braces, retainers and adjustments until finally the doctors advised that the best option for her to have a “normal” smile was to have surgery.
The dental implantation process, like the one Yazzy had, often requires grafting bone donated by a deceased tissue donor. The graft provides necessary stabilization to the area and prompts new bone growth where the implant will be placed.
Smiling through
“Because of a stranger who said yes to donation, I can smile now,” says Yazzy. “The gift I received has given me the confidence to live my life fully. I smile all the time now!”
In 2016, Yazzy’s uncle Chris passed away and became a tissue donor. Chris touched many lives through his tissue donations, which has meant a lot to Yazzy since she became a tissue recipient.
Yazzy and her family have a unique perspective on donation. They know the loss of a loved one, the bittersweet hope donation can bring and the transformative power that transplants and grafts can have for people just like Yazzy.
Thanks to her first-hand experiences and the confidence found in her new smile, the sky’s the limit for Yazmina.
