The staff at Faith Farm served as surrogate parents for me, so when I complained of a nagging toothache, a female member took me to the dentist. After an exam, the dentist told the staff member I needed a root canal.
The two of them walked around the corner, and I overheard the staff member tell the dentist that I was living in a group home.
“Oh,” the dentist responded. “He’s one of them?”
“Yes, sir. We don’t have dental insurance for our residents.”
“Then I’ll have to pull the tooth,” the dentist replied. His words ripped through me, not because I was afraid of getting a tooth pulled. The real pain came from the knowledge that he didn’t regard me as a normal kid with a toothache. The Novocain numbed the pain when he pulled my tooth, but it did nothing to numb the pain in my heart.
(Wayne, 2015).
This is an excerpt from a book passed on to me from a lifelong family friend who knows my heart for adoptive and foster youth. It resonated with parts of my heart as a dentist, and it stimulated reflection on my experience in my professional community.
What are the dentist’s thoughts? What are the child’s thoughts?
Read Luke 10:25-37. Verse 29: Who is your neighbor? Verse 37: What do you do?
The child later wrote about this experience. What did the dentist later do about this experience?
Reference
Wayne, J. (2015). Walk to beautiful: The power of love and a homeless kid who found the way. Thomas Nelson.
Dr. Lacey L Robinson, is a graduate of Wake Forest University and UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. As a lifelong learner, she continues to enjoy studying for both personal and professional development. As a dentist, her passion is on how best to restore full-mouth smiles with predictable, harmonious, and esthetic results. She acts as Vice President for her local ADA Dental Society and is a graduate of the Dawson Academy, a leading international organization for post-graduate dental education.
In addition, Dr. Robinson is passionate about clinical mental health counseling and is enrolled in Wake Forest University’s Master’s in Mental Health Counseling online program. She currently volunteers in our community with individuals and families experiencing trauma, and she is enthusiastic about helping others define their purpose and live out their best selves.
Dr. Robinson also advocates for our community through her service as Chairwoman of the City of Havelock Cultural Arts Advisory Committee, as ex-offico Chairwoman of the Havelock Chamber of Commerce, and through her service on the Board of Directors for Coastal Women’s Shelter.