This is not me. I am fortunately not in this situation.
Friend of mine - no one close, just someone I've gamed with on and off for a year - is currently in incredible pain. Wisdom teeth came in, crushed his molars, some of the teeth are beginning to rot, and he's running high on debt and already receiving whatever financial support he can from family. Our gaming group's trying to get him to go to a dentist, but apparently, last time he saw one - work was quoted as being over $5k, and he's afraid to spend the money to get another appraisal because it's been long enough that he expects it'd be more expensive.
None of us have the finances necessary to be able to back him up. Is there any recourse - some sort of charity or even a loan program - that exists to help people like this who are actively seeking jobs and would pay back at first opportunity? We're all really worried about him, but he either can't, or won't - and I don't want to push to find out which it is, he's already ashamed of his inability to get work - add more debt through a credit card for this.
Sorry, this is the only non-gamer community I'm really part of, so I don't have a lot of other places to ask for advice.