El Paso Raises $13K to Restore Musician's Smile

Russ Kalman smiles at little kids again without worrying they'll be scared of him. The 68-year-old musician got his smile back, and it took an entire Texas city to make it happen.

Four years ago, Kalman underwent surgery for Stage 4 laryngeal cancer that saved his life but left him with only nine teeth. The extensive dental work he needed to eat solid food and feel comfortable in public would cost thousands of dollars, far beyond what his limited insurance would cover.

His family launched a GoFundMe campaign, hoping El Paso's tight-knit music community would help. What happened next amazed them: more than $13,000 poured in from friends, family, fellow musicians, and complete strangers.

"I want to say the word grateful again, and amazed that a community could come together," said his wife, Kat Tyler, a former radio personality and vocalist. "It gave me more faith in El Paso, in humanity."

University Medical Center stepped in with additional financial assistance and connected Kalman with Dr. Hans Brockhoff, a leading expert in reconstructive surgery for head and neck cancers. The bass player who performed with numerous El Paso bands over the years is now undergoing dental implants and hyperbaric chamber treatments to speed bone healing.

The transformation goes beyond teeth. Before his dentures, Kalman grew what he calls "a ridiculous mustache" to hide his smile and rarely left home. Now the mustache is gone, and Tyler jokes that he's hardly ever home.

"I've been laughing more in public," Kalman said. He speaks through a voice prosthesis from his cancer surgery, but recent blood tests confirm he remains cancer-free.

Sunny's Take

Sometimes restoring someone's smile means giving them back their entire life. For Kalman, those new teeth represent freedom to walk into a room without shame, to laugh without covering his mouth, to be present in his own community again. His daughter Zoe says more dental challenges lie ahead, but her dad is already happier and more confident. That's the gift El Paso really gave him: not just dentures, but the chance to stop hiding and start living again.

"Life is beautiful," Kalman said.