Stranger leaves $25,000 tip for waiter's dental work

[ND-Dem]

Everyone who meets Brian Maixner is greeted with a huge laugh and an even bigger smile.

Only the waiter and single dad from Wichita, Kansas, has struggled with dental issues since he was a child, after chipping one of his front teeth lead to a series of infections that he has never been able to get on top of.

It was something that struck Fred Boettcher, an attorney from Oklahoma, who was in town catching up with his daughter at the Doo-Dah Diner, where Maixner works.

'I took one look at this young man and knew he was something special,' Boettcher told KWCH 12. 'He carried himself with such kindness and confidence with a mouth that looked painful. I was struck by that.'

Boettcher decided he wanted to help Maixner...He went over and spoke to Maixner's manager, and told her he was leaving behind a $25,000 tip to help him get a new set of teeth.

'This man doesn't know me and this is something I could never afford to do for myself,' Maixner said, admitting he burst into tears when his manager told him the news.

'It touched me so much that he cared.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2988110/Kind-stranger-leaves-25-000-tip-lovely-waiter-needed-new-set-teeth.html#ixzz3U2FPwZlB

[Nye Bevan]

1. LOL, I read this as the waiter did dental work on the guy in the restaurant,

and the guy was so happy with it that he left a big tip.

[ND-Dem]

8. lol. you made me laugh. now *that* would be a great story.

I have the picture in my head of the waiter looking at the customer's teeth...and working on them at the table...

[glowing]

2. What an amazing difference a beautiful smile makes!

And BTW, dental should be covered along with vision and health care as a right thing living in this country. Had dental been available earlier on, he wouldn't have had to suffer like that his entire life!

[BrotherIvan]

4. Amen

Especially since dental infections have been directly linked to serious medical issues such as heart attacks. They aren't separate at all.

[SoapBox]

13. Absolutely!

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. wonderful story

[PSPS]

5. My brother did this for a handyman he hired

I don't think the tab was this high, but it was several thousand dollars. It really made a difference in the guy's life.

[niyad]

6. what a lovely story to read on a day filled with so much ugly.

[ND-Dem]

9. yes, i try to remind myself that people can be very good to each other; so often we hear only

the bad.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

10. true. so easy to forget there's Good happening. n/t

[mountain grammy]

7. Nice post. Too many Americans cannot afford dental care

and dental insurance is woefully inadequate. Obamacare requires dental care for children which is a huge step forward. Dental care should be part of universal health care.

[shanti]

23. It absolutely should be part of obamacare!

Dental health is so important to one's overall health!

[DeSwiss]

11. K&R!!!

[flvegan]

12. "Fred Boettcher, an attorney from Oklahoma"

I know that with regularity and without reason most folks here hate lawyers.

Please, govern yourselves accordingly.

[steve2470]

24. you hate the other side's attorney, and love your own

That's how it goes. Also, not all lawyers are whale poop. In fact, most are not.

[djean111]

14. How wrong is it that dental work should be so out of the reach of a waiter? THAT'S the problem.

[Orrex]

16. ^^That. All of that.

A few years ago a coworker destroyed his shoulder and had to undergo several surgeries and months of physical therapy. Total cost? Over $100,000. His cost with insurance? $25 for his insurance copay.

Around that same time I had a root canal with a post but no crown. Total cost? About $650. My cost with insurance? About $600.


Two crowns can easily cost more than a three day hospital stay. How the hell does that work?

[djean111]

17. My grandson is almost 20. A couple of weeks ago he asked me how can anyone say we all have

an equal chance at life when kids/adults who need hearing aids, glasses, or dental work are just out of luck if their insurance does not cover it or their family is poor? And makes me laugh when some say oh, just lower the Medicare age. Guess what Medicare does NOT cover? Glasses, hearing aids, dental work/dentures. Except for exams.

[Orrex]

18. Exactly right, and my wife made a similar point recently.

Yeah, it covers everything except what people might actually need or use. Great system!

[shanti]

26. My own mother, 83

has to pay out of pocket for her yearly cleanings. Good thing her teeth are good still. Myself, I have dental coverage that I pay a monthly premium on, and have twice yearly cleanings, $30 each time. I'm retired now, but this was a benefit (as was my medical) that I earned while working for the state of california. Although I had the majority of my dental work done when I was working, I'm very thankful to have it, just in case.

[ND-Dem]

19. most definitely. and i think there is something a bit wrong with these stories that celebrate

individual's generosity without mentioning the root problem.

but I posted this because the guy *was* generous, and because he talked about the virtues of the waiter. most people wouldn't be so kind. so that's worth acknowledging, even though in a proper world, he'd have to be generous in some other way.

[HappyMe]

15. k&r

What a great guy doing something for another great guy.

[ND-Dem]

20. that was the part i liked best about this; the guy who helped him recognized him for his merit

and wasn't just helping out some 'unfortunate'.

not that there's anything wrong with helping out 'unfortunates'. I just like it better when people are recognized for what they do well, even though they may not be well-paid for doing it.

[shanti]

21. Wow, what a great story!

New teeth will be life-changing for this young man. What a blessing! Mr. Boettcher is a good man.

[steve2470]

22. awesome story! heart-warming nt

[hollowdweller]

25. guy looks great now

Glad he got his teeth fixed.

[NaturalHigh]

27. I heard about this story this morning.

I'm glad Mr. Maixner got his teeth fixed. Kudos to Mr. Boettcher for his generosity.

[valerief]

28. If only we had Medicare for All with dental, people wouldn't have to hope for the

kindness of strangers. He was one of the lucky ones.