GRAND RAPIDS — Emily Tokar will probably have an extra piece of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner next
week. And a second drumstick and heaping helping of stuffing.
The Otsego High School sophomore is about to have a complicated jaw surgery that will put her on “no
chew” status for the next three months.
Emily, who is 16, will have the $48,000 surgery on Dec 4. To help with expenses, the family has
established a GoFundMe account and friends are holding a fundraiser on Saturday at the high school.
Emily’s mother, Kelly Tokar, said that she sought out the Piper Clinic in St. Petersburg, Florida, after
years of looking for answers in the area.
The problem started around five years ago with jaw and ear pain. Emily said that she’s always had bad
ligaments, including her ankle, which has been operated on, too.
Tokar said she suspects the initial damaged was caused by a tubing incident when she was 10 years old.

“Since I have osteochondritis, even a pillow fight could have caused it when I was little,” Emily said.

She had been referred to numerous temporomandibular joint disorder specialists, but most were at a loss
to help her daughter, Tokar said. Over the years, Emily has had a surgery that broke up scar tissue and
required a liquid diet in recovery, CAT scans, braces and dozens of TMJ appointments, Tokar said.
The last straw came after a visit with a specialist in Michigan. Over nine months, they had four
appointments and Tokar thought they were heading toward a procedure. At the last minute, Tokar said the
doctor changed his mind.
They decided to seek out another doctor and found Mark Piper in Florida.
The first consultation, in August, cost $2,000.
The surgery will replace disks along the jawline, with a graft from her stomach, Tokar said.
“She was diagnosed with juvenile osteochondritis, which people get in their knees, their ankles, their
shoulders — but for her, it’s the jaw,” Tokar said. “It just means that something stopped growing due to
lack of circulation, so there’s some kind of damage.
“It’s the pain we want to get taken away, the pain.”
Emily said that she lives with a constant, sharp pain in her mouth that often leads to migraines. While
she’s not looking forward to having the surgery, missing 10 days of school and being on a liquid diet
for three months, Emily said it’s needed.
“I’m ready to get it over with because it hurts all the time,” she said.
Her diagnosis is stage 4, Tokar said. Stage 5 is total jaw replacement.
Tokar said the $48,000 for the surgery is due upfront. Insurance is expected to reimburse some of the
costs, but they are still worried about travel, anesthesiologist and recovery expenses, Tokar said.
There are also three checkups in Florida needed over the next year. They are also getting a home equity
loan.
“It’s just super expensive because the specialist needs the money up front,” Tokar said.
On the GoFundMe page, she wrote: “We are in over our heads. We never expected this expense. It breaks my
heart, as a mom, to see her in pain and struggling everyday. I hate asking for help but we are in a
position where it’s necessary to. I pray we will be able to make it through this difficult time.”
She and Emily will leave for Florida on Tuesday; there is a Nov. 17 pre-surgery appointment.
Tokar said they’ll probably eat Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant. They will be staying with Tokar’s
89-year-old grandmother.
The family has lived just outside the village for the last four years, after residing in Rossford for
several years.
Emily has three older brothers, Tony and twins Noah and Drew, who is disabled. She helps with his care
and is an honor student at Otsego, where she is involved in the cheerleading program, FFA and student
council. Tokar, who styles hair, has been a stay-at-home mom since the twins were born. Dad Andy is an
account manager.
The fundraiser, which is Saturday from 3-5 p.m. at the high school, 18505 Tontogany Road, is free to
attend. There will be a dinner, dessert auction and raffles to raise funds.
For more information vist https://www.gofundme.com/f/emily039s-jaw-surgery