A 72-year-old veteran in Charlotte, North Carolina, is smiling again thanks to an oral and facial surgery center’s special gift.
Raymond Hait is a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient who lost several teeth over the years and has never had the money to replace them, according to WCNC.
“My mouth was damaged when my best friend and the only man I trusted in Vietnam with my life, was walking point and we were in triple canopy jungle and he let go of a bamboo and it slapped me in the mouth,” he said.
Hait likes to sing in his church’s choir but “I had to stop because I looked funny up there,” he explained. “When the pastor said smile I looked mad because you could only see five bottom teeth.”
When the Carolinas Center for Oral and Facial Surgery heard he was in need of assistance, they decided to help and gave Hait a $50,000 dental makeover for free.
“And I just broke down,” the veteran said of the gift.
The makeover is part of the center’s Smiles for Soldiers program that “awards one veteran or active duty military member with a complete smile makeover free of charge,” its website read, adding that its team is proud to support the nation’s military veterans.
On December 10, the center shared a photo of Hait with one of the doctors standing next to him.
“Our Smiles For Soldiers recipient, Raymond, showed off his bright new smile in our office today!” the post read:
Our Smiles For Soldiers recipient, Raymond, showed off his bright new smile in our office today! mycenters.com/soldiers
Posted by Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery on Thursday, December 10, 2020
Following the procedure, Hait said, “The surgery went well.”
In addition to his smile, the center’s generous gift also gave the veteran a huge boost of confidence.
“When the choir is back, I will be back in the choir. I’ll smile all the time; it’s life-changing,” he concluded.
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