Early this year, I discovered there was a surgery that could restore some of my hearing. My mechanical hearing loss is caused by fusing (ossification) of the two bones (stapes) in my middle ear. In this procedure, my doctor accesses my middle ear through an incision on the back of my outer ear, removes some bone with a laser, and replaces it with a tiny prosthetic one.

In February, I had the first of two stapedectomies, and the outcome has dramatically improved my quality of life! I'm headed into my second surgery AUG 23! Unfortunately, my recovery requires that I pull back from physical labor for a month, putting an incredible strain on my resources. The difficulty of heading into another one-month recovery at this time is compounded by the fact I am currently in a precarious gap between jobs and housing.

As I take additional time off to embark on this new horizon, I need lots of love and community care to buoy my spirit. Financial contributions will help offset missed wages associated with these procedures to cover expenses like groceries, bills, and medicine. But, of course, TLC is also needed, so letters, texts, and emails are welcome!

Thanks for your support; it means the most.

Here's an article where I discuss how hearing loss has affected my life + work: Sound of Mettle — QC Nerve JAN 2022

You can explore my work as a sound + installation artist here: https://nellykate.net/