An American Vampire in Juarez: Getting My Teeth Pulled In Mexico's Most Notorious Border Town

The first sign of trouble came when Josh Ellis stopped being able to spit. A visit to a Las Vegas emergency room showed wisdom teeth so badly impacted that they were growing upwards towards the lining of his brain. Left untreated, his own teeth would very likely kill him. And if that weren't bad enough, Josh Ellis is one of the 50 million Americans without medical or dental insurance. This is the story of how a combination of desperation, poverty and a total lack of other options lead Josh to a dentist’s chair in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico: a city where, in 2010, over 3000 murders were reported. It's a story of international trade, corporate greed, baby vampire hearts, giant knives stuffed into socks, midget hookers, unhygienic peppers and the challenges of smuggling drugs across the border while a torrent of blood is pouring from your mouth. Most importantly, it's a story that echoes the impossible choices faced by millions of uninsured Americans every year.