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When he was 17 years old, Orion Bradshaw discovered his passion for acting. He also discovered that he was affected by a form of ectodermal dysplasia called Witkop’s Tooth and Nail syndrome and that 28 of his permanent teeth had not developed. Of the four permanent teeth that did develop, two of them were mis-shapen. He could only think about what a lack of teeth could mean for an aspiring actor, where aesthetics were so important.

His parents, Raina and Roger, began to explore options that would give Orion a functional set of adult looking teeth. The treatment plan they chose included extracting 18 baby teeth and placing 16 dental implants, crowns, a bone graft and a sinus lift. It also included a price tag of $70,000 - $80,000.

Raina immediately set out to find a way to make it work. First, with help and support from the NFED, she worked to get the treatment covered under their medical insurance plan. It was a long process but she was successful.

For the past four years, Orion has been studying theater performance at Southern Oregon University (SOU) on an NFED Education Scholarship. During his freshman year, he underwent complex dental treatment, and he adjusted to wearing a temporary denture. He feared that his dentures might pop out on stage, but he soon discovered it was not a legitimate concern.

Orion has made a name for himself at SOU where the straight A student graduated last June with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Local newspaper critics gave him rave reviews for his roles in SOU’s productions of “Who’s Happy Now” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”

After several years of serving food and drinks at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Orion took the stage last summer as an actor at the Tony Award-winning festival. He had roles in “The Tempest” and “The Taming of the Shrew”. For Orion, it’s a dream come true.

“It’s true that you should follow your dreams…but you should also appreciate the people you have around you to support you in following those dreams,” said Orion. “I learned that you can’t do it alone, going through the surgeries. At first, I tried to keep it to myself what was going on, and I didn’t want friends to be involved. I learned that you need to let those people help you.”

He specifically credits his “beautiful and caring fiance, Shayna Marie. We’ve been together almost four years now, and she has been there from the very beginning of this whole ectodermal dysplasia ordeal. Without her constant love and support, I would not be nearly as fulfilled a man as I am today. She, my parents, and a couple other priceless friends are who I treasured during my hardships,” Orion said.

“Your dreams and passions are your Path. The people that are there to support you are your Guiding Light. Never forget about the people who love you in everything you do; you can’t do it alone,” Orion said.

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