A 67-year-old blind man from Royal Oak had his dentures stolen. Two dentists made a new one
GARDEN CITY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 67-year-old man found himself in the chair of a dentist's office on Friday - the last place he expected to be at the end of the week.
His full name is Francis Sawicki, but you probably know him as Frank. The blind Royal Oak native is known as the man selling pens and pencils outside a Walgreens on 13 Mile and Coolidge in Royal Oak, which he uses to supplement his social security.
But then on Aug. 10, he was robbed while selling pens and pencils when police say a woman hopped out of an SUV and stole his bags. Inside them were his dentures. Dentists from Amazing Dental weren't happy about that.
"Whoever took these have impaired his ability to eat, to smile, and even to talk. We thought it was really unacceptable. We had to really step in and do something about it," said Dr. Nawras Najor.
And they did, picking up Frank from Walgreens and got him a new mold for his dentures. But this wasn't just a privilege to help him, but a responsibility to the community.
"His teeth and his smile are the only way he can communicate with people," said Dr. Atheer Jassim. "And you took that away from him."
But the charity doesn't stop there. Insurance only covers dentures if they are damaged, and this new pair cost $2,000. The dentists gave Frank $1,000 - half the cost.
"I'm glad that they did. I did appreciate it," he said.
A GoFundMe was also set up to help Frank out, raising more than $5,000 since being set up.