Dr. Samantha almost can't believe it herself: little Joan from La Paz, Bolivia, bites into a juicy red apple that the dentist has just handed him with all his might. His brown eyes light up and he laughs at her with full cheeks.

It is only thanks to the doctor and her efforts that this situation came about. Because a year ago, the boy could neither bite into an apple nor laugh with his cheeks full. Every bite was associated with endless pain for him. His entire set of teeth was full of caries and rotten. But like so many children in La Paz, he was in a situation that made getting better seem almost impossible: his mother is a young, destitute teenager who lives on the street and whom the four-year-old rarely gets to see. He therefore spends most of his time with his grandmother, where he shares simple accommodation with his siblings and nephews. The grandmother is very busy feeding the children and all the savings go on food and the most necessary clothing. There are no funds left for medical care, let alone insurance. And so there was no way for Joan to treat the little sick teeth; the pain got worse with every Monday. In the end, this suffering meant that the boy could hardly eat any more - in addition to the toothache, he was underweight and his little body was completely weakened.

By a lucky coincidence, Dr. Samantha of the Street Doctors heard about the little boy's fate. She visited him in his simple accommodation and took a look at his teeth. It was immediately clear that simple treatment would no longer be of any help and that, in addition to root canal treatment, he would also need partial dentures. However, these procedures are extremely expensive - far too much for Joan's family. For Dr. Samantha, however, it was clear that she would not abandon the boy.

She pulled out all the stops to raise enough money to help the boy. Her efforts paid off: After just a few weeks, she had found enough support to start the treatment. Joan had to come to her several times to have his teeth repaired - often with pain and tears. These were also difficult and exhausting hours for Dr. Samantha.

But every tear and every drop of sweat has paid off when Dr. Samantha now sees little Joan's shining eyes - her mouth full of apple.