TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse Dentist Honors Father’s Legacy With Free Care for Veterans
Dr. Joan Laura: Come on in. Come on in, sir. Hey, hey, how you doing? Welcome. Welcome.
Marisa Nuñez: For the past thirteen years, Dr. Joan Laura has opened the doors of Eastwood Dental to veterans on Veterans Day. With proof of service, they sign in, fill out a short medical form, and wait for a cleaning, filling, or extraction… free of charge.
Laura: I am very honored and privileged to do this for the veterans. They have given up so much for us, and it’s the least I can do to say thank you.
Nuñez: Many veterans return year after year, including Air Force veteran Michael Mulroy, who’s been visiting annually for five years. He is grateful for Laura’s services and says dental care isn’t guaranteed for most veterans.
Michael Mulroy: If you don’t do 20 years in the military, you don’t have dental insurance and you can’t get your teeth cleaned. Dr. Laura steps up and takes care of the veterans in the area.
Nuñez: Eastwood Dental treats about thirty-five veterans each Veterans Day. Over thirteen years, nearly five hundred veterans have received free care, more than $100,000 worth. But Laura gives these services for more than patriotic reasons. For her, it’s personal.
Laura: My father was a very proud Korean War veteran… and he instilled in all of us children a very strong sense of patriotism.
Nuñez: After serving, Laura’s father returned to Eastwood Dental, which opened in 1948. Now, decades later, Laura continues his legacy, offering free care each year in his honor.
Laura: I thought about this the year after he passed. He’s never been here with me, and I would’ve loved for him to sit in the waiting room with all those veterans, sharing stories.
Nuñez: Though her father isn’t here to see it, Laura says she remembers him each year in the veterans who fill her waiting room. Marisa Nunez, N-C-C News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Veterans Day is a day to honor men and women who have served in the U.S. military, and for Dr. Joan Laura, a dentist at Eastwood Dental, it’s a day to give back through free dental care.
For the past 13 years, Laura has offered veterans a cleaning, filling or extraction, completely free of charge.
“I am very honored and privileged to do this for the veterans,” Laura said. “They have given up so much for us, and it’s the least I can do to say thank you.”
Each Veterans Day, Eastwood Dental treats about 35 veterans, with many returning each year. Among them is Michael Mulroy, an Air Force veteran who has attended the event for the past five years.
There’s a common misconception that joining the armed forces means free healthcare for life, but benefits depend on factors like length of service and disability status. Because of this, Mulroy said he is deeply grateful to Laura for offering her services.
“If you don’t do 20 years in the military, you don’t have dental insurance and you can’t get your teeth cleaned,” Mulroy said. “Dr. Laura steps up and takes care of the veterans in the area.”
Laura’s inspiration comes from her father, who served in the Korean War. He was also a dentist and founded Eastwood Dental in 1948. Laura is now continuing his legacy through this event.
Since its start, Laura has helped nearly 500 veterans receive free care, which is more than $100,000 worth of free dentistry.
Laura’s father died the year before she started the event, and she wishes her father were still here to see it.
“I thought about this the year after he passed,” she said. He’s never been here with me, and I would’ve loved for him to sit in the waiting room with all those veterans, sharing stories.”