Hearing Aids for Santana

What is it like to lose your hearing? I asked Santana what it's like to hear as she does. She shared with me, "It's like when people talk... all I hear is mumbling. And you often nod your head even though you don't have the slightest idea of what they are saying because you don't want to frustrate them. Or how frustrating it is when people give up on trying to communicate with you because you keep asking them to repeat themselves."

This young lady is known for her infectious enthusiasm, her resounding laugh, her beautiful smile, her soft voice accompanying the strumming of her guitar,  her attitude of helping others and giving her all to help out someone in need. Her name is Santana. As a personal support worker, she cares for your aging parents, your grandparents, your loved ones who need a little help to keep living the lives they have always lived. But at barely 21 years old, Santana is losing her hearing and the people she takes care of already hear more of the world than she does.

Santana has always struggled with underdeveloped ears, has always needed ear plugs anytime she went in the water, and has always required hearing aids to maintain her level of hearing.  She underwent five surgeries throughout her childhood and teenage years in an attempt to restore the connection between her ear drum and the nerves that allow her to hear. 


During her most recent visit to the ear doctor in October of 2017, she was told that her hearing capacity has decreased to only 50%, and that number will only worsen without assistance. The hearing aids she needs cost $5500, which is more than she can afford as a personal support worker, and as she is now a young adult, there is no government help available to her.

Please consider supporting Santana, and thank you for taking the time to read and share her story.