Thread: Here Is The People America Should Help & NOT Illegals!

http://www.star-telegram.com/189/story/1353480.html

Homeless man turned college student gets dazzling smile
By GORDON DICKSON
gdickson@star-telegram.com


COLLEYVILLE — Even when Jeremy Burnett looked and smelled like he was eating out of garbage bins, he was known for a quick belly laugh.

Now he has a $25,000 smile to go with it.

Burnett, a formerly homeless man turned straight-A student and math whiz at Texas Wesleyan University, has taken another step in his dramatic turnaround. Burnett, 36, who lost most of his teeth because of neglect and substance abuse, has been outfitted with a new set of choppers, courtesy of a Colleyville dentist who donated his services.

"I can eat anything. I ate corn on the cob the other day, for the first time in 10 years," Burnett said Friday afternoon, while waiting for his 12th and final dental appointment. "I’m excited about ice cream — being able to eat it without it hurting."

Dr. Laurence Oliver saved six of Burnett’s original teeth and replaced 22 others with a shiny set of implants. It’s about $25,000 worth of work.

Oliver said Burnett was a test case for what he hopes will be a regular program of helping needy people with severe dental problems. He calls it Renaissance Smiles.

"Once a quarter, we’re going to accept applications online and give somebody an extreme makeover," Oliver said.

From the beginning

Burnett grew up in Spokane, Wash., but was kicked out of his home at age 17 for stealing and truancy.

He lived on the streets with severe depression, abusing alcohol and drugs and sometimes eating out of trash cans, and wound up in Fort Worth in the summer of 1992. He kicked around homeless shelters for years.

Last year, after finding a church he liked, he met a teacher who was having trouble getting her GED students to pass math, and Burnett offered to take over the class. JoAnn Reyes, president of the Hope Center, a ministry for the poor at Without Walls Church in Fort Worth, gave Burnett a shot — and unlocked a remarkable talent for numbers that had been hidden for years behind his grungy appearance.

Burnett lives in a college dorm and maintains a 4.0 grade-point average with 18 hours of classes Spanish, calculus, English composition, logic, introduction to sociology and New Testament Greek.

He gets financial aid from Wesleyan and is pursuing degrees in math and Spanish. He hopes to become a full-time teacher.

He tutors at the university and the church and occasionally teaches Sunday school.

Oh, and Burnett has become a bit of a sharp dresser. For his dental appointment last week, he wore a dark blue shirt and dress pants with black pinstripes, a black vest and a rainbow-colored scarf.

He recently got a driver’s license — his first — and hopes to get a car soon. But the exam was a close call; he scored 72, barely enough to pass.

"The lowest grade I’ve made since I’ve been in college was on the driver’s test," Burnett said. Then he smiled widely and let out a belly laugh.

I love success stories! Let's hope that the man that was homelesss passes on his skills and love to others in need when he is in a position to do so.

PS
God Bless the Dentist for donating his time, materials and skill for free.........that's really generous!

I saw this story on the local news. This guy is apparently a math whiz too! Talk about turning your life around! What a great story!

Originally Posted by ELE

I love success stories! Let's hope that the man that was homelesss passes on his skills and love to others in need when he is in a position to do so.

PS
God Bless the Dentist for donating his time, materials and skill for free.........that's really generous!

He's a Math Genius
Straight A's 4.0 Average!
18 hours of classes a day!
Took over teaching GED math Classes
He hopes to become a full-time teacher.
He tutors at the university and the church and occasionally teaches Sunday school.
I'd say he's doing quite a bit to give back.

This proves that you never really know someone till you get through the outer layers.

Jeremy Burnett, a fine AMERICAN, finally found LOVE from someone.

Wonder if my community is helping the homeless - ESC is helping the illegals with jobs.

Wonder if my community is helping the veterans - our governments are helping the illegals with everything.

Wonder if my community is helping the sick Americans - local hospitals are giving llegals no cost care.

Americans Wake Up

Originally Posted by vmonkey56

Jeremy Burnett, a fine AMERICAN, finally found LOVE from someone.

Wonder if my community is helping the homeless - ESC is helping the illegals with jobs.

Wonder if my community is helping the veterans - our governments are helping the illegals with everything.

Wonder if my community is helping the sick Americans - local hospitals are giving llegals no cost care.

Americans Wake Up

Wonder No More! They help very little!

It's outrageous to NOT help our people and send all our money to help everyone But Americans...
It's sickening to me.
I have no respect for our government and they haven't earned any either.
They appear to be crooks after being there awhile.

What a heartwarming story!!!