Donors Pledge to Cover Teen’s Jaw, Dental Rebuild

BIG LAKE (AP) -- Delta Dental and other donors have pledged to cover the medical and dental work needed to restore a teen's jaw and teeth to allow her to eat and talk normally.

Seventeen-year-old Gabby Gingras, who graduated from Big Lake High School Friday, suffers from a condition that deprives her of a sense of pain. She lost her teeth and damaged her jaw in a series of childhood mishaps. Mayo Clinic doctors have proposed rebuilding Gabby's jaw with bone grafts into which teeth could be implanted. Her insurer, Aetna, has denied coverage, saying the procedure is largely dental in nature.

Delta Dental has pledged $100,000 for the procedure. Two online GoFundMe pages have raised another $45,000 and the Minnesota Dental Association pledged another $5,000.