Amanda NEEDS New Hearing Aids!!
Donation protected
Hello!
My name is Amanda and I'm going to keep my story as short as I possibly can, because I love to talk!!
I was born hearing and began progressively losing it around the age of 9 years old. I became completely deaf by the age of 12 and received my 1st hearing aid. I've always worn hearing aids to help me communicate with the hearing world.
I attended public schools from elementary to high school and graduated in 1978. Over the years took many speech classes to improve on my speech. I attended a deaf college in Rochester, NY and received my degree in Business in 1982. After 25 years in the financial field of work, my health took a turn for the worse and my life hasn't been the same. In some ways, it's been better, so I'm not complaining. My health issue is something I don't share with many people and prefer not to unless done privately. But it has affected me enough that I have to be on disability.
Not being able to go back into the same type of work I did before, I decided to change careers and begin working towards having my own photography business.
I love photography and enjoy it very much, but at times photo shoots can take their toll on my health and I've cut down on the number of photo sessions I can do. I currently work part time at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind teaching 8th grade deaf students about Arts, Audio/Video Technology, Communications, Career Planning and Photography. I love it! I love inspiring young people to be the best they can be and give them the skills to do it. With the help of the Florida Surfing Association, I was able to set up an event called Silent Surfers. Teaching young deaf children how to surf. We just finished our 5th year event in early July.
Now, for the reason in setting up my GOFUNDME account. I've never done anything like this before. I usually don't ask for help, as I am a very independent person and like to do things on my own. But in this case, I am not able to and really need to ask for help.
It's time for me to get new hearing aids and I don't have the money to do so. I contacted Vocational Rehabilitation and asked if they could possibly help me get new hearing aids and was told it's a possibility, but there is a very long wait list, even then it's not promised that I will get them. I'm always worrying about the "what if". What if my hearing aids stop working and I can't get new ones. I've had my current hearing aids since 2008, as for the hearing aids before that ... It's been so long I don't even remember. Needing new hearing aids and not having money to get them, well ... that's been my biggest fear. I want to add that I'm not trying to get the newest technology to be trendy, but to move away from a seriously antiquated system to something that will change my life. Hearing aids are cheaper than surgery and less dangerous.
So here I am ... asking for YOUR help!
Your help in getting new hearing aids. Specifically, the Audibel A3i's, which is the newest and best hearing aids available for me, for my hearing loss that I have, which is off the charts.
These little babies are sweet!!
They are the Audibel A3i and OMGosh they are AWESOME!! I don't like digital hearing aids, I prefer the analog. I learned that these hearing aids have the options of analog and/or digital.
YAY! ANALOG IS BACK!!!!
These hearing aids are even made to use with iPhone & iPads!!
Let me share a few things about why these hearing aids are so cool!
1) It eliminates all that buzzing and whistling ... which happens every time I turn up my hearing aids up to the max when I want to hear something louder (or when I hug someone and they hear that squealing, I have to explain to them what it is and tell them I call those my "squeaky hugs".)
2) I can stream phone calls, music, media and more ... directly from my iPhone to my hearing aids via bluetooth technology!!
3) It has TruLink SoundSpace: this enables me to easily adjust sound settings to my specific ENVIRONMENT (home, theatre, classroom, restaurant, car, etc). By simply moving my finger along the screen, I can adjust the sound to suit my preference and then it saves as a TruLink memory. So up to 20 different environments I'm in, sounds exactly the way I like it best! I can use my iPhone/ iPad and adjust the sound with a touch by moving my finger around the screen towards bass/treble/soft/loud and this is what allows me to adjust the sound to where I want it.
4) Now get this ... It has TruLink Memories, which is a geotag memory that uses the built in GPS on my iPhone to know where I am and then it will automatically adjust my hearing aids to that tagged location. For instance, "Coffee Shop" memory automatically activates when I walk into my favorite coffee shop.
5) It has Auto Experience Manager which automatically adjusts the hearing aids loudness over time to help the transition to the new hearing experience. This is like going to the audiologist to adjust the hearing aid, but saves me an office visit :)
6) TruLink Adaptive Car Mode: designed to reduce the annoying sounds of driving and enhance my audio driving experience. In other words, allows me to hear what people in my car are saying and not just the tires on the road, wind, rain, etc
7) and a feature I hope I never have to use and most likely won't since I never let my hearing aids out of my sight ... a "find my hearing aids" feature.
Best of all ... it will allow me to once again enjoy music unlike these awful digital hearing aids have stolen that one little joy that I had for so many years. I got all choked up in tears when I told the audiologist I would love to see if these things let me hear my daughter sing.
Unfortunately, they cost $5500 for 2 of them. Funny thing, I was at the hearing aid shop today getting new ear modes ... the audiologist was telling me all about the Audibel A3i and I fell in love with them. I knew I needed these. Then I asked her how much they cost, I thought she said $55,000. My heart sank ... fast! :(
Then she corrected me and I felt much better, but I still didn't have that kind of money. She was going to go ahead and order them for me to "try out", but I told her if she did, I would be very disappointed and heartbroken to have tried them, have to hand them back to her and not take them home with me.
Soooooo ... isn't there some kind of tax deduction you guys can get for donating? :)
Please Go.Fund.Me
Thanks for taking the time to read my story!
Amanda
My name is Amanda and I'm going to keep my story as short as I possibly can, because I love to talk!!
I was born hearing and began progressively losing it around the age of 9 years old. I became completely deaf by the age of 12 and received my 1st hearing aid. I've always worn hearing aids to help me communicate with the hearing world.
I attended public schools from elementary to high school and graduated in 1978. Over the years took many speech classes to improve on my speech. I attended a deaf college in Rochester, NY and received my degree in Business in 1982. After 25 years in the financial field of work, my health took a turn for the worse and my life hasn't been the same. In some ways, it's been better, so I'm not complaining. My health issue is something I don't share with many people and prefer not to unless done privately. But it has affected me enough that I have to be on disability.
Not being able to go back into the same type of work I did before, I decided to change careers and begin working towards having my own photography business.
I love photography and enjoy it very much, but at times photo shoots can take their toll on my health and I've cut down on the number of photo sessions I can do. I currently work part time at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind teaching 8th grade deaf students about Arts, Audio/Video Technology, Communications, Career Planning and Photography. I love it! I love inspiring young people to be the best they can be and give them the skills to do it. With the help of the Florida Surfing Association, I was able to set up an event called Silent Surfers. Teaching young deaf children how to surf. We just finished our 5th year event in early July.
Now, for the reason in setting up my GOFUNDME account. I've never done anything like this before. I usually don't ask for help, as I am a very independent person and like to do things on my own. But in this case, I am not able to and really need to ask for help.
It's time for me to get new hearing aids and I don't have the money to do so. I contacted Vocational Rehabilitation and asked if they could possibly help me get new hearing aids and was told it's a possibility, but there is a very long wait list, even then it's not promised that I will get them. I'm always worrying about the "what if". What if my hearing aids stop working and I can't get new ones. I've had my current hearing aids since 2008, as for the hearing aids before that ... It's been so long I don't even remember. Needing new hearing aids and not having money to get them, well ... that's been my biggest fear. I want to add that I'm not trying to get the newest technology to be trendy, but to move away from a seriously antiquated system to something that will change my life. Hearing aids are cheaper than surgery and less dangerous.
So here I am ... asking for YOUR help!
Your help in getting new hearing aids. Specifically, the Audibel A3i's, which is the newest and best hearing aids available for me, for my hearing loss that I have, which is off the charts.
These little babies are sweet!!
They are the Audibel A3i and OMGosh they are AWESOME!! I don't like digital hearing aids, I prefer the analog. I learned that these hearing aids have the options of analog and/or digital.
YAY! ANALOG IS BACK!!!!
These hearing aids are even made to use with iPhone & iPads!!
Let me share a few things about why these hearing aids are so cool!
1) It eliminates all that buzzing and whistling ... which happens every time I turn up my hearing aids up to the max when I want to hear something louder (or when I hug someone and they hear that squealing, I have to explain to them what it is and tell them I call those my "squeaky hugs".)
2) I can stream phone calls, music, media and more ... directly from my iPhone to my hearing aids via bluetooth technology!!
3) It has TruLink SoundSpace: this enables me to easily adjust sound settings to my specific ENVIRONMENT (home, theatre, classroom, restaurant, car, etc). By simply moving my finger along the screen, I can adjust the sound to suit my preference and then it saves as a TruLink memory. So up to 20 different environments I'm in, sounds exactly the way I like it best! I can use my iPhone/ iPad and adjust the sound with a touch by moving my finger around the screen towards bass/treble/soft/loud and this is what allows me to adjust the sound to where I want it.
4) Now get this ... It has TruLink Memories, which is a geotag memory that uses the built in GPS on my iPhone to know where I am and then it will automatically adjust my hearing aids to that tagged location. For instance, "Coffee Shop" memory automatically activates when I walk into my favorite coffee shop.
5) It has Auto Experience Manager which automatically adjusts the hearing aids loudness over time to help the transition to the new hearing experience. This is like going to the audiologist to adjust the hearing aid, but saves me an office visit :)
6) TruLink Adaptive Car Mode: designed to reduce the annoying sounds of driving and enhance my audio driving experience. In other words, allows me to hear what people in my car are saying and not just the tires on the road, wind, rain, etc
7) and a feature I hope I never have to use and most likely won't since I never let my hearing aids out of my sight ... a "find my hearing aids" feature.
Best of all ... it will allow me to once again enjoy music unlike these awful digital hearing aids have stolen that one little joy that I had for so many years. I got all choked up in tears when I told the audiologist I would love to see if these things let me hear my daughter sing.
Unfortunately, they cost $5500 for 2 of them. Funny thing, I was at the hearing aid shop today getting new ear modes ... the audiologist was telling me all about the Audibel A3i and I fell in love with them. I knew I needed these. Then I asked her how much they cost, I thought she said $55,000. My heart sank ... fast! :(
Then she corrected me and I felt much better, but I still didn't have that kind of money. She was going to go ahead and order them for me to "try out", but I told her if she did, I would be very disappointed and heartbroken to have tried them, have to hand them back to her and not take them home with me.
Soooooo ... isn't there some kind of tax deduction you guys can get for donating? :)
Please Go.Fund.Me
Thanks for taking the time to read my story!
Amanda
Organizer
Amanda Tapley
Organizer
St. Augustine, FL
