Sudden Deafness
Donation protected
"SUDDEN DEAFNESS"
My name is Karen. I'm creating this GoFundMe account on behalf of my sister, Shelly Losie.
The following is Shelly's story:
Shelly awoke one morning in May with no hearing from her left ear. While she was concerned she went about her day thinking her ear was just severely plugged and would resolve itself. By the next morning she realized she still couldn't hear and there was a problem. She went to Urgent Care and was immediately referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist. She was seen right away and was informed that she has a condition called Sensorineural Hearing Loss also known as "sudden deafness". The doctor told her that getting treatment immediately, as she did, was crucial to her odds of recovering her hearing. With aggressive treatment she was told she would have a great chance of recovering her hearing. Shelly was immediately treated with a high dose of oral steroids as well as receiving steroid injections directly into her ear canal. She went through the maximum steroid injections and the full course of oral steroids with no return of her hearing. During this same 2 week window the doctor recommended she get several treatments in a hyperbaric chamber at HCMC. A hyperbaric chamber involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room. Doctors have seen positive outcomes with all these treatments that were recommended. Shelly was told her insurance would cover the treatments and not to worry. While Shelly was being treated with steroids she also underwent treatments in the hyperbaric chamber. Shelly aggressively used all treatment options that were available to her with the hope that her hearing would return. After maximum treatment of steroids and hyperbaric chamber sessions she still has had no hearing return. The doctor said after 30 days with no change she would forever be without hearing from her left ear.
We know God, Family/Friends, our health, eyesight and hearing are among the most important things in life.
Hearing loss impairs her functioning as a mother of two and as a business woman. What you also may not realize is there is a constant buzzing noise that is very disorienting. When a person loses hearing in one ear the direction of sound can't be determined. As an example if she is driving and hears a siren she can't tell if it's coming towards her, behind her or to the right or left of her making it difficult to know where to pull over. Being in a room full of people she can't discern all the voices, it's just a bunch of noise that is disturbing. She doesn't know if someone is talking to her unless they are in front of her and looking at her.
A traditional hearing aid will NOT work for Shelly due to the type of hearing loss she has and due to the location of hearing loss in the ear. Shelly now has an option of having a surgical implant placed that will allow her hearing ear to communicate to her non-hearing ear. This surgery is expensive as well as the cost of the device.
I'm asking for donations for Shelly because she has been the one person I have ever known that has always seen the positive out of everything. She is always upbeat and caring for others. Shelly is such a giving person. She has several disabled relatives. She has taken many days away from work to assist them with moving, painting, or other chores. She is self employed so when she takes a day off from work she receives no pay, yet she is such a giving person that she makes that sacrifice to help others.
I've created this GoFundMe page because she was told the hyperbaric oxygen chamber was covered by insurance but they have denied payment for the treatment that she already received. Her treatment for that alone was over $40,000. She is in the process of appealing the denial.
While Shelly still remains positive I see in her eyes some of that positive spark and positive outlook on life fading and it breaks by heart. If I had the resources I would gladly cover her expenses. I have never seen Shelly down, but all this has finally impacted her usual upbeat nature. She has taken many days away from work and being self employed she has had many days without pay. I am reaching out to ask for donations to help pay the cost of her surgical hearing device as well as lost wages and any other expenses not covered by insurance. Any help, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks, Karen
Organizer and beneficiary
Karen Hill
Organizer
Delano, MN
Shelly Losie
Beneficiary