Lasting Impressions | Summer 2017

COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 37 Today, Charles is on the road to a fully restored appear- ance and awaiting the insertion of implants. CDM personnel who work with AO aren’t surprised at the organization’s accomplishment. “Her care was paid for by the fraternity,” said Steven I. Kaltman, D.D.S., who donated his time to perform Charles’ cancer surgery and jaw reconstruction. “Treating Cassandra is something that has been very rewarding for us,” added Kaltman, chair of oral and maxillofacial surgery and associate dean for hospital affairs at the CDM. The fund-raising effort was the first time the CDM’s AO chapter earmarked proceeds from its annual run and walk-a-thon for patient care. In the three previous years, all event proceeds were used to support dental research and to purchase new equipment for the college. A large portion of the money came from a single donor, whose own son had died years ago from leukemia. Samina Ali of Atlanta, Georgia, learned of AO’s mission to help Charles from her daughter Anum—a third-year CDM student who urged her to help. Ali’s son was uninsured when he died at age 15, and she didn’t want someone else’s child to suffer similarly. She and her husband, Feroz, contributed $3,000 in hopes of making a difference. “Anum called me and said, ‘Mom, can you do some- thing?’” recalled Samina Ali, whose family now owns several convenience stores. “We did a lot but could not save our child. But maybe a little bit of a contribution can save someone else’s.” Anum Ali, who doesn’t belong to AO, was touched by Charles’ plight. “Imagine a young kid losing all her teeth and needing full jaw reconstruction,” said Anum Ali, who wants to specialize in cosmetic dentistry. “Kids get bullied. I thought because my mom already contributes to a camp in Georgia for kids with cancer that this might be some- thing she could contribute to.” At the 2017 run at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, Florida, 180 people participated and 20 volunteers assisted. The chapter’s fifth run raised $3,600 that is being donated for Dolores Goddard, a patient at NSU who was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, CDM students and faculty members provided oral screenings during the event. Community involvement is a core value of NSU, and the AO members embrace this. “It’s a great feeling to be able to help someone,” said Libby Finer, AO vice president and a third-year dental student who graduates in May 2018. “Cassandra came to our walk last year with her family and had a really great time.” “Every cent we raised, from tickets to registration for participants and donations, we gave to her family,” said Sanaz Ghiassi, the new AO president and a third-year dental student who graduates in May 2018. The CDM’s AO chapter is a tight-knit group of dedicated dental students, instructors, and professionals who promote networking, activism, and academics through an array of community-based activities. About 180 people turned out for the Fifth Annual Oral Cancer Awareness 5K Run and Walk-a-Thon at C.B. Smith Park.The 2017 event is sponsored by the CDM’s chapter of the Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity. Continued on next page