Hello! My name is Des, my husband’s name is Dustin & our children Ryleigh & Ryden (Bub).

Bub has a very rare & complex medical history. He has 4 genetic conditions, 3 being rare. One is connective tissue related, it’s unspecified. The others are MED12, SLC35C1 & HNRNPU. He has had a stroke, is autistic, has a blood disorder, among many other things. He continues to keep going every single day with a huge smile on his face! If you know Bub, chances are .. he’s made you smile! That’s just the kid he is, he loves when others are happy. He also REALLY loves cars!

Bub is disabled through the state & is on the waiver. He has primary insurance through Dustin’s work, but also through the waiver has disability insurance.

We have been told by the ENT & Audiologist that Bub likely has APD (Auditory Processing Disorder). To get services for this he has to go through testing, the testing is scheduled for 10/13/2025 in Carmel, IN. Unfortunately, the testing is not covered through insurance & is $750.

To determine if the Audiologist thinks Bub would even benefit from this testing, we had to do a questionnaire. To be eligible to move forward with testing, 8 questions have to be answered in a certain way….. we answered 28 of them indicating Bub would really benefit from having the testing.

I asked what would be treatment if he is diagnosed. The Dr told me treatment is hearing/listening aids & a microphone, which is $4,000 for the combo. Also not covered by insurance … AND they will need to be replaced every 4-6 years or if something breaks. He will take them off for play to keep them safe, but will wear them for school & evenings, weekends & breaks. I have asked if the waiver he’s on can help us with the cost any & they told me no. I have called around to a few clubs that the Dr said to call, but we cannot get funds from them due to us not being members. I have even asked the Dr if she will send the hearing aid order elsewhere to see if insurance would cover better. She said she would, so I called around. The problem is programming the hearing aids for what Bub needs them for. APD isn’t hearing loss, the hearing aids would amplify who is talking into the microphone making it easier for Bub to focus on that & understand better.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) makes the brain struggle to understand or interpret what it hears, even with normal hearing. Symptoms include difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, trouble following directions, frequent requests for repetition, academic problems like reading and spelling difficulties, and appearing easily distracted or inattentive. People with APD may also have difficulty with rapid speech, understanding musical rhythms and intonation, or pinpointing the source of a sound. APD affects about 3%–5% of school-aged children. A common physical accommodation is a remote microphone system, previously known as a frequency modulation (FM) system. This assistive listening device emphasizes a speaker's voice over background noise, making the voice clearer so a child can understand it. The person talking wears a tiny microphone transmitter, which sends a signal to a wireless receiver that the child wears on the ear.

Our family is not one to ask for help, but we truly believe this will help Ryden. We are trying to raise the $750 by the test date on 10/13/2025, then I will update what they say. If they still want Ryden to receive the hearing/listening aids I will post that & then will need to try to raise the $4,000 for the hearing/listening aids & microphone. If you cannot donate, we fully understand. Just please keep Bub in your thoughts! I know Bub has so many people rooting for him. People often ask how they can help & normally we just ask you to keep Bub in your thoughts.. but this time our Brave Bub needs some monetary assistance to be able to get testing & if needed, get the hearing/listening aids & microphone.

Thank you so much to everyone for keeping Bub in your thoughts & thank you in advance for your help during this time. We appreciate you more than you will ever know!

The Mattingly Family