Sue's Hearing Aid Fund
Donation protected
Helen Keller once said that deafness is "a worse misfortune than being blind. When you lose your vision, you lose contact with things; when you lose your hearing, you lose contact with people."
I’m losing my hearing. I have been for some time. I have Meniere’s Disease and it’s slowly robbing me of my ability to hear. I’ve compensated for a long time, but I’m at the point now where because sounds have such a muffled, unclear quality to them, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish speech and sound location and that, in turn, is beginning to affect my work, my confidence, and my sense of self. I’m not actually that shy or quiet – it’s just difficult to join in when you can’t understand what’s being said, or going on, and you’re constantly trying to guess!
Why I’m trying to raise money…
I was just recently fitted for a pair of hearing aids after applying and being accepted for financial assistance through the AUDIENT Hearing Program (a division of the Lion’s Foundation), a program I discovered after signing up for a hearing plan offered through my work. The hearing aids I was given were recommended both by my audiologist and a Hearing Care Specialist and are based on my hearing loss and specific needs. I NEVER could have imagined the incredible difference those hearing aids would make! Now imagine finding out that the devices that actually help you are NOT covered by the assistance program you were accepted for or your insurance. It turns out that the AUDIENT program will only assist in the coverage of hearing aids for mild hearing loss (hearing aids that help with one-on-one conversation and enhance television/radio).
My hearing loss is in the moderate-severe range and the aids I need cost $2,500 per ear, totaling $5,000. Insurance does NOT cover the cost of hearing aids and I am not able to cover this entire amount alone, so I’m reaching out to ask for help in raising money for my hearing aids.
A Wonderfully Different Life
I never could have imagined the difference those aids have made. I knew I had hearing loss but when you live with something for so long and you compensate so much, you don’t realize how much you REALLY are missing!
The world is a joyously noisy place filled with crisp, beautiful sounds! Raindrops hitting a car windshield, the clink of a bracelet, someone humming, choruses of birds, the sharp sound of shoes on hardwood floors, all of the snapping and crunching everyday sounds that you don’t perceive when your hearing is muffled and lost. And amidst all of that glorious noise? Voices. Clear voices. In the past two weeks I’ve hardly had to say “what?” “excuse me?” “huh?” or “I’m sorry?” (the six most used words in my vocabulary). I’ve attended meetings and heard every word spoken, had conversations with people in crowded restaurants and understood everything, and for the first time I hear my own voice through my own ears! And I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what this means for my love of music.
And there’s one other amazing benefit – as if hearing wasn’t enough! – the aids mask tinnitus by up to 69%. I suffer from 24/7, 4600Hz ringing tinnitus (another attribute of Meniere’s Disease). Having the volume of that constant sound masked for a part of the day is a huge relief. I feel so much more in tune, connected, and present now that I’m not using so much of my brain power to try to decode the sounds around me and process the constant tinnitus. It really is like starting a whole new chapter! And it’s a chapter I’m determined to keep writing, not one I want to close.
So if you can, please be a part of my sound-filled, bright journey of hearing! Whatever you can contribute would be immensely appreciated and would be a gift beyond measure. Your help will open doors and make life so much sunnier and clearer. Thank you!
I’m losing my hearing. I have been for some time. I have Meniere’s Disease and it’s slowly robbing me of my ability to hear. I’ve compensated for a long time, but I’m at the point now where because sounds have such a muffled, unclear quality to them, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish speech and sound location and that, in turn, is beginning to affect my work, my confidence, and my sense of self. I’m not actually that shy or quiet – it’s just difficult to join in when you can’t understand what’s being said, or going on, and you’re constantly trying to guess!
Why I’m trying to raise money…
I was just recently fitted for a pair of hearing aids after applying and being accepted for financial assistance through the AUDIENT Hearing Program (a division of the Lion’s Foundation), a program I discovered after signing up for a hearing plan offered through my work. The hearing aids I was given were recommended both by my audiologist and a Hearing Care Specialist and are based on my hearing loss and specific needs. I NEVER could have imagined the incredible difference those hearing aids would make! Now imagine finding out that the devices that actually help you are NOT covered by the assistance program you were accepted for or your insurance. It turns out that the AUDIENT program will only assist in the coverage of hearing aids for mild hearing loss (hearing aids that help with one-on-one conversation and enhance television/radio).
My hearing loss is in the moderate-severe range and the aids I need cost $2,500 per ear, totaling $5,000. Insurance does NOT cover the cost of hearing aids and I am not able to cover this entire amount alone, so I’m reaching out to ask for help in raising money for my hearing aids.
A Wonderfully Different Life
I never could have imagined the difference those aids have made. I knew I had hearing loss but when you live with something for so long and you compensate so much, you don’t realize how much you REALLY are missing!
The world is a joyously noisy place filled with crisp, beautiful sounds! Raindrops hitting a car windshield, the clink of a bracelet, someone humming, choruses of birds, the sharp sound of shoes on hardwood floors, all of the snapping and crunching everyday sounds that you don’t perceive when your hearing is muffled and lost. And amidst all of that glorious noise? Voices. Clear voices. In the past two weeks I’ve hardly had to say “what?” “excuse me?” “huh?” or “I’m sorry?” (the six most used words in my vocabulary). I’ve attended meetings and heard every word spoken, had conversations with people in crowded restaurants and understood everything, and for the first time I hear my own voice through my own ears! And I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what this means for my love of music.
And there’s one other amazing benefit – as if hearing wasn’t enough! – the aids mask tinnitus by up to 69%. I suffer from 24/7, 4600Hz ringing tinnitus (another attribute of Meniere’s Disease). Having the volume of that constant sound masked for a part of the day is a huge relief. I feel so much more in tune, connected, and present now that I’m not using so much of my brain power to try to decode the sounds around me and process the constant tinnitus. It really is like starting a whole new chapter! And it’s a chapter I’m determined to keep writing, not one I want to close.
So if you can, please be a part of my sound-filled, bright journey of hearing! Whatever you can contribute would be immensely appreciated and would be a gift beyond measure. Your help will open doors and make life so much sunnier and clearer. Thank you!
Organizer
Sue Volkert
Organizer
Stone Mountain, GA
