Share the Season helps mother get a little more than her two front teeth

Most Christmases, this mom and daughter don’t give gifts. They just take care of each other.

This year, the 81-year-old mother’s old dentures started to break down. She got the dentures repaired twice, but a recent crack in them resulted in difficulty eating and weight loss.

“We joked instead of all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, I want all my teeth,” her daughter said.

They were just getting by on the mom’s Social Security check and the daughter’s disability check. The unexpected costs of repairs to the dentures as well as repairs to their car left them without the means to replace the mom’s dentures.

The daughter read about Share the Season, and they decided to put in a request. A phone call from the Salvation Army brought them the news.

“I was just so touched, and I was just practically reduced to tears, and mama was just so happy,” the daughter said. “This has made her happier and healthier.”

Share the Season helped pay for a new set of dentures for the mother.

“I know there are people that are worse off,” the daughter said. “But it really helped us when we needed it.”

Share the Season is a joint project of The Eagle, the Wichita Community Foundation and the Salvation Army. So far this season, it has raised more than $150,000.

Send contributions to Share the Season at the Wichita Community Foundation, 301 N. Main, Suite 100, Wichita, KS 67202. To donate online, go to www.sharetheseason.org. If you have questions about donating, call 316-264-4880. Donors will be listed in The Eagle; please note if you prefer to remain anonymous.

This story was originally published December 19, 2016 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Share the Season helps mother get a little more than her two front teeth."