Hello!

I wanted to share a story about why I am working to raise money for my second cochlear implant surgery. I had meningitis when I was a one-year-old baby. I was sick for many days, and the meningitis caused me to be deaf permanently. I had worn hearing aids in my childhood, but they didn’t help at all, so my parents decided that I should get surgery for a cochlear implant. I got surgery on my right ear when I was nine years old, and I used to wear a hearing aid on my left ear. The cochlear implant and hearing aid have different technology and different sounds. Both had really exhausted me, so I stayed hearing with just the cochlear implant. Hearing in one ear has always caused me struggles with my family, friends, work, social life, and being a single mom. It has never been easy growing up with only one ear hearing. I always get help with what is going on in the conversation, repeating, background noise, and so on. Now I decided to get a second cochlear implant on my left ear. I got approved by my doctor, and I was told my left ear nerve will take time to heal and to hear normally. I will be out of work for a month to recover and start to hear the new world on my left side. I won’t get paid during my recovery, and I have bills coming up in addition to my son’s needs. This surgery is so important to me, and I want to do something with my full hearing to bring to the world. Any help means a lot to me. My goal is to raise $5,000 to pay for my recovery expenses, bills, food, my son’s needs, the cochlear implant, and surgery procedures.

I have been blessed by this decision at 36, and I want to be a blessing to others. If you can give, no matter how much, I would appreciate you and know it is enough.

With all love and sincerity,

Adriana Garrido