Help Ethan Hear!

My name is Ethan Jansen and I am thirteen years old.  I am an identical twin with severe hearing loss.  The causes of my hearing loss are not definitive but it is believed that it happened during birth or shortly there after.   My premature birth was traumatic as my brother and I had a twin to twin blood transfusion during birth.   We were both in the NICU for several days.   Upon leaving the hospital, I failed the hearing test.   And so this was the beginning of "my world".  I have a large family with two brothers, two half sisters, a half brother.    Although they are all supportive, it is difficult being the "different" one.  Because of my hearing loss, my speech suffers and I just don't communicate as well as others.  This has created many obstacles for me socially, emotionally and academically.   My single mom is raising myself and my three siblings on a teacher's salary which makes purchasing hearing aids virtually impossible!  For years, my mother faught the insurance companies for speech therapy and assistance with hearing aids.  Needless to say, we lost!  Hearing aids are just not covered and are very expensive.  Fortunately, I am older and more mature now as I take care of my aids.  It hasn't always been that way though... as a toddler I tried my best to lose those expensive pieces of equipment by tossing one out of my grandmother's car, hiding them under the mulch at daycare, and more.  Now that I am in middle school,  I am still struggling socially, emotionally and academically.  I have been without one aid for four months and my speech is declining.  My most recent hearing test showed my hearing in one ear had declined.    I am hoping this is not attributed to not wearing an aid.  Please consider me for your donations!  Please help me hear!!