Our son Vaughn was diagnosed with being profoundly hard of hearing 2 days after his 6th birthday in May of 2025. He has been an absolute trooper through the process of diagnosis and treatment, but it's starting to become less of an adventure and more of a chore.

In September, he is undergoing a sedated MRI to see if he is a candidate for cochlear implants. We've talked him through the process and he isn't scared, but he's just so tired of endless specialists and testing.

That's where this GoFundMe comes in.

The one thing this boy loves more than playing VR is steak. He is a foodie through and through, to the point where he refuses to eat at McDonald's because they shorted him a nugget YEARS ago. If you ask him what he wants in life, he will tell you a "medium rare steak, it HAS TO BE medium rare."

He is also a boy of fancy taste. He's the only 6-year-old boy I know with a Scentbird subscription and I'm pretty sure he's the only 1st grader that carefully chooses his cologne every morning.

After he gets either his cochlear implants or hearing aids, we want his first meal to be a big, juicy, medium rare steak from the fanciest restaurant we can find. This money will help pay for gas to either Louisville or Nashville, a fancy medium rare steak, and a hotel room for the night (one that has a Continental breakfast).

We are fundraising to give Vaughn a special meal to celebrate his bravery and resilience through his medical journey!