Gardnerville dentist plays Santa to Tahoe teen

A Zephyr Cove girl's letter to Santa was answered on Wednesday when she visited Gardnerville dentist Vincent D'Ascoli.

Thirteen-year-old Sarah Scott and her mother Gail made the trip down to the Valley to visit D'Ascoli, who is donating his time to help her regain her smile.

The trip was sparked by Sarah's letter to Santa Claus, which ended up in the Zephyr Cove Post Office.

That's where Zephyr Cove bartender Shari Zygadlo found the letter after following a suggestion from "Live with Regis and Kelly" co-host Kelly Ripa to check local post offices for letters sent to Santa.

Not having much money herself but wanting to do something different in terms of giving for the holidays, Zygadlo thought about it some and while she was at the post office that afternoon, she inquired about letters to Santa.

In Zephyr Cove, everyone knows their postal clerk. Zygadlo knew Sam Lobato by his first name. She asked if there were any letters, and he brought out two, one from a boy who asked Santa for an X-Box and the other from Sarah.

Zygadlo distributed the letter to five South Shore dentists. Four of them responded. But it was Dr. Scott Forvilly of Zephyr Cove Dental Center who called first.

"I get a lot of requests for free dentistry and I do some pro bono work but this letter really caught my attention," Forvilly said. "It broke my heart."

An assistant of Forvilly telephoned Michael Riley, a Stateline property manager to inquire about Sarah and where she might live. Riley confirmed with the assistant that Sarah and her mother live in the affordable housing project that he manages. Riley contacted the mother and daughter personally because they have no phone. He drove them to Forvilly's office for a consultation.

Zygadlo heard the news from Lobato, the postal clerk that day when she went in to pick up her mail.

"He said, 'Shari, we have a bite,'" Zygadlo said. "I started crying."

The first day, Forvilly gave Sarah two fillings. The next, he gave her a cleaning. The big work, however, will be shared with friend and colleague Dr. Vincent D'Ascoli, a Gardnerville orthodontist.

Forvilly called D'Ascoli and told him he had a patient that needed the work done but couldn't afford it.

"I told him, 'let me send you something before you make a decision,'" Forvilly said. He faxed him Sarah's letter. D'Ascoli immediately called him back and said "absolutely."

Sarah's mother works part time jobs to keep food on the table and her growing daughter in clothes. Some government assistance helps keep a roof over their heads. They have no car. There's not room for much else. Especially when it comes to health.

A seventh-grader at Kingsbury Middle School, Sarah is shy and doesn't speak much. She has piercing brown eyes, high cheek bones and a careful, self-conscious smile in which she pierces her lips together as to not expose her crooked, irregularly spaced teeth.

She loves spending time listening to music on the radio and talking about boys were her friends - those things teenagers girls her age have in common.

Her mom says she's one to speak openly about stuff at home, but when she's at school, she sometimes feels as though when she opens her mouth or cracks a smile, her peers glare directly at her mouth.

In all, Sarah's mouth will require at least $10,000 worth of work. She will need braces. D'Ascoli has committed to covering the cost and the adjustments required every six weeks. She will need to wear them between one and two years. Forvilly has agreed to do all cleanings in between, plus laser bleaching, and porcelain veneer on a couple of broken front teeth. He has committed to being Sarah's dentist, offering her assistance free of charge through her senior year of high school.

Others too have offered to help. Sarah has received clothes from employees at the dental office and the Hair and Nails Studio on Kingsbury Grade have agreed to give her hairstyle and makeover.

As Sarah prepared for a cleaning on Thursday, the woman who got the ball rolling, Shari Zygadlo, stopped by the dentist office to finally meet the girl face-to-face.

Sarah beamed, and along with a thank-you gave Zygadlo a wide smile exposing the teeth that soon will be straight.

Dear Santa Claus:

All I really want this year is some braces because everybody makes fun of me.

And I truly do not want anything better than braces. Even the boy I like makes fun of me. Santa, please help me. I will be so grateful of what you may do for me. But my mom has a job and it doesn't pay her good enough to pay for my braces.

PS: Thank you Santa. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sarah