help julz get hearing aids!

Dearest loves, friends, comrades, families, communities,

I'm writing y'all with great love, gratitude and solidarity that I carry so deeply within my heart, body and spirits. This is a difficult request for me and I am reaching out as part of my practice of healing shame and trusting the value of my life and work. I'm writing to ask for your help in getting hearing aids, which are necessary assistive devices for my well-being.

As some of you might know, I am a Seattle-based storyteller by way of visual art and performance arts. To this day, I've been cultivating healing and social justice work with Fresh Fruit (formerly known as ROJU), First Rain, ARKiology EDUtainment and the communities interconnected with those collectives. I am committed to this work in building with community through creating and sharing art. I truly believe that there is healing and magic in sharing our truths and brilliances.

In December 2012, I had the blessing of visiting my grandmothers and relatives in the Philippines. During my short time there, I became very ill and had a sudden loss of hearing in my left ear. I was hospitalized and seen by several health providers who concluded that a virus caused permanent inner nerve damage. After returning to the U.S. in 2013, I went through many challenges of trying to access an audiologist because I didn't have access to timely and affordable health insurance.

I have constant tinnitus (ringing in ear) in my non-hearing ear that amplifies when I'm in spaces where several people are talking at once or if there is music playing. I'm unable to comprehend speech or localize where sound is coming from and the stress of trying to clearly hear has also increased my chronic fatigue. It's become increasingly difficult to comprehend what people say. I would like to be able to access community spaces and gatherings, public spaces (grocery stores, cafes, etc) and to be able to work (full-time) with less anxiety and pain.

With the assistance of hearing aids, any audio that is picked up on my left side will be cross-transfered to my right ear so I can comprehend what I'm not hearing on that side. These aids will also hopefully give my right ear more of a break since it's working double time. I feel extremely grateful for the transformative process in unlearning and relearning how I hear and experience the world. I've learned this shift was necessary in my journey of healing :)

HEARING AIDS DETAILS:
UPDATES****

I will be purchasing these hearing aids from the Hearing Speech and Deafness Center in Seattle, and these prices includes batteries, programming and service for the lifetime of these hearing aids, which will be so useful and helpful for me!

Phonak Audeo Q50 312 Digital Receiver (For Right Ear): $1800
Phonak 312 CROS transmitter (For Left Ear): $1300

shipping costs/stamps for perks *guestimate*: *$100-150 (+/-)
TOTAL NEEDED: 3200

There are an array of "rewards" donated by my loving support team. For more details on some of the art, work and skills they are donating in support of this fundraising effort, please scroll further to the bottom of this message to access some of these artists' blogs and websites. 

I have infinite gratitude for all of you loves, homies, comrades, and relatives so immensely, whether it's sharing this page on various social media platforms and offering any amount and resources that builds towards this goal! 

Thank you for supporting my efforts in getting the necessary assistive devices I need to move towards living and creating sustainably as a qtpoc artist. This isn't possible without the love, connection, care and support from all of you.

in love, light, and solidarity!

agyamanak,

Julz Ignacio

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Available Links to Support Team Members Work:

Fabian Romero: Fabian's Writing, Chapbook & Poster
Roldy Aguero Ablao: Roldy's Art (choose your print among many, just not the event photographs).
Kay Ulanday Barrett: Kay's Website, Kay's Twitter: @kulandaybarrett
Rafael/a Luna-PIzano, LMP & Labor Support: Xochimeh Birth & Body Work, Q/TPOC Birthwerq Project
Viviann Nguyen (Fluxhzard): Fluxhzard Photography
Fresh Fruit (formerly known as ROJU): Island Spirits (one of our mixed-media projects)
DÃ¥ko'ta Alcantara-Camacho: Dako'ta's Profile
Julz Ignacio (Self): Julz YouTube, Julz Website