For The Seventh Generation seeks professionals to help change the lives of wards of the court
By Donald V. Calamia
When 12-year-old Jasmine first arrived at the dental office of Dr. Maria L. Pinzon, the shy and introverted youngster was in need of long-term orthodontic treatment. An habitual thumb sucker for comfort and pleasure, Jasmine required initial treatment for an anterior open bite before Pinzon could begin work on straightening her teeth. With minor coaching, the thumb sucking stopped and braces were installed. Now, a few years later, it's not just a young girl's teeth and smile that have been transformed. "She's laughing and smiling, and she feels a whole lot better about herself," Pinzon said of her patient. "She has acquired self-esteem and a personality of her own. Jasmine has come out of her shell."
What's unique about Jasmine's story isn't her dental experience; such miracles are relatively common in local area dental offices. What's noteworthy is the mechanism that brought the permanent ward of the Wayne County court system into Pinzon's expert care: a new and innovative community-based volunteer program called For The Seventh Generation.
Established in 2005 by the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association Foundation in cooperation with the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court and the Department of Human Services, For The Seventh Generation provides non-law related services to wards of the court. "We serve as a clearing house to match those willing to volunteer their time, talents or merchandise with those children identified by our juvenile court as needing such assistance," explained Lorraine Weber, executive director of the DMBA Foundation.
"The need for such outside assistance is great.", said Chief Referee Kelly Ramsey of the court's Family Division, Juvenile Section. "Our court is designed to take care of the basic needs of our children. Sadly, these kids have a lot of needs that go far beyond the court's ability to solve, and with our limited resources, we can only do so much. However, it is our belief that there are many private individuals and organizations who really care about kids, and that they would be more than happy to help if they only knew how. So we've launched this program to provide the opportunity and the structure for them to do so."
The idea to create the program came to Ramsey while seated on a taskforce seeking pro bono legal services for the wards of the court. Recalling an earlier situation in which her personal dentist, Dr. Douglas Hock, agreed to treat a woman who was savagely beaten and needed emergency follow-up care, the chief referee had a brainstorm. "Why does it have to be just legal services? Why aren't the medical and dental professions also willing to provide services?"
So she took it upon herself to test her theory. "I just went from one professional to another and asked," Ramsey recalled.
It wasn't long before several area professionals agreed to treat one child per year, including Hock. "It would seem only too appropriate to be involved with a program like this," he said. "After all, the legacy that we leave in life is not in the accolades that we receive, but it is predicated by the positive impact that we can have on others."
Ramsey doesn't want to limit involvement to only doctors and lawyers, however. "I don't see why a dance school couldn't offer lessons to a foster child in the neighborhood, or why a roofing company, electricians and plumbers couldn't offer to fix up the home of a needy family every year."
The program has the potential to change the lives of many children and families in need, believes E. Christopher Johnson Jr., co-chair of the DMBA Foundation. "As lawyers who are all-too familiar with the unique problems these young people face every day of their lives, we believe a program of this scope will go a long way to address them. But to do good isn't enough; rather, we must 'do good' the right way - meaning that we must accomplish our work in the most efficient, economical and comprehensive manner possible over the long term."
In the meantime, the project's first participant, Jasmine, has moved from a residential facility for children with emotional and developmental disabilities to a foster home in Suburban Detroit where she is a straight 'A' student at a local public school.However, her dental needs continue; with an excessive overgrowth of gum tissue, Pinzon has arranged for Dr. James E. McNamara at the University of Michigan Dental School to perform laser reshaping and reduction of the tissue free of charge as a demonstration to the orthodontic residents. "She will not only benefit esthetically, but it will also make the treatment more stable and her teeth easier to brush," Pinzon said.
It is that type of selfless involvement that Chief Referee Ramsey believes will make a difference in the world. "I think we must recognize that the actions we take today will have an impact far beyond the current generation. How we deal with our most vulnerable children today will affect their progeny for years to come. We must work for the seventh generation."
