Micky Needs New Ears
Donation protected
In the summer of 2008 my husband collapsed at work and subsequently suffered from a traumatic brain injury. He lost total hearing in his right ear, suffers from some memory loss, and the loss of hearing severely affected his balance.
I can't imagine how awful it was for my husband to wake up in a hospital bed at 18 years old and see his mother's lips moving but not be able to hear her words.
Without knowing if it would work his family and doctors proceeded with Cochlear Implant surgery. On October 31st, 2008 they turned on his cochlear for the first time.
In the 10 years since, Micky has gone on to lead a mostly normal life with some obvious adjustments made. A few years ago though his original ear piece, the Nucleus Freedom, started becoming less and less reliable until it stopped working all together last summer.
For the past almost two years we have been trying (and failing) to get insurance coverage for his new ear piece. However, it's been deemed, "not medically necessary". I am still struggling to understand how a company can determine that one of the 5 basic human senses isn't "medically necessary". We have applied for assistance program after program and have been turned down at every stop. This technology is expensive, but so necessary for my husband's every day life and key to his ability to live as normally as possible.
I can't imagine how awful it was for my husband to wake up in a hospital bed at 18 years old and see his mother's lips moving but not be able to hear her words.
Without knowing if it would work his family and doctors proceeded with Cochlear Implant surgery. On October 31st, 2008 they turned on his cochlear for the first time.
In the 10 years since, Micky has gone on to lead a mostly normal life with some obvious adjustments made. A few years ago though his original ear piece, the Nucleus Freedom, started becoming less and less reliable until it stopped working all together last summer.
For the past almost two years we have been trying (and failing) to get insurance coverage for his new ear piece. However, it's been deemed, "not medically necessary". I am still struggling to understand how a company can determine that one of the 5 basic human senses isn't "medically necessary". We have applied for assistance program after program and have been turned down at every stop. This technology is expensive, but so necessary for my husband's every day life and key to his ability to live as normally as possible.
Organizer and beneficiary
AshLynne Van Ry
Organizer
Fort Collins, CO
Micky Van Ry
Beneficiary