Hearing Aids for Arlen
Donation protected
I was backpacking through Belize with a great group of people and we stayed in a Mayan village in the Toledo district. All the families there took us in with open arms. They opened their homes and fed us. They also took us out to their farms and toured the Mayan ruins with us teaching us anything we wanted to know along the way.
While meeting all the different families I remember listening to a conversation with Sarah the most. Her 4-year old son, Arlen, was running around the house as any normal 4-year old would. A woman in my group asked if he had a hard time hearing because he didn't seem to be listening. She informed us that actually he was deaf. She told us the story about how they were trying to find different ways of communicating through different gestures. She worried about what would happen if she couldn't afford to get Arlen hearing aids. She also said she had taken Arlen to a doctor to get his ears looked at. They even tried on a hearing aid for another person to see if he even had the ability to hear. They found he could hear, it was just extremely poor and he would need hearing aids.
We also learned that the cost of hearing aids in Belize is $3,000 BZD which is equivalent to $1,500 USD. They do not have a doctor that is close by and would need to travel to Belize City in order to have the procedure. They would need to stay over night. I'm asking for $2100 to cover the cost of the hearing aids and well as travel, food, and lodging expenses. The second doctor visit we would also like to cover as well. With the small costs of each donation transaction and processing payment I am forced to estimate the total amount. Dr. Atanascio Cob would be the doctor for Arlen. We will be paying the bill directly through the hospital.
We ask for your help to help change a young boy's life. Arlen will be forced to be sent to another special education school away from his family and village if we cannot raise the funds for his hearing aids. Imagine yourself being taken away from your friends, family, and your entire world without any explanation. It would be an earth shattering feeling. I wouldn't wish that on anyone and now I'm doing my best to make sure that never happens, but I need your help.
His school year starts the beginning of September. The appointment date for his hearing aids we are targeting is the middle of August. It just so happens that Arlen's birthday is August 20th when he will be turning five. I can picture Arlen and his twin sister, Arlene, dressed up in their school clothes walking to class in their community. Now it's our chance to make it a reality.
While meeting all the different families I remember listening to a conversation with Sarah the most. Her 4-year old son, Arlen, was running around the house as any normal 4-year old would. A woman in my group asked if he had a hard time hearing because he didn't seem to be listening. She informed us that actually he was deaf. She told us the story about how they were trying to find different ways of communicating through different gestures. She worried about what would happen if she couldn't afford to get Arlen hearing aids. She also said she had taken Arlen to a doctor to get his ears looked at. They even tried on a hearing aid for another person to see if he even had the ability to hear. They found he could hear, it was just extremely poor and he would need hearing aids.
We also learned that the cost of hearing aids in Belize is $3,000 BZD which is equivalent to $1,500 USD. They do not have a doctor that is close by and would need to travel to Belize City in order to have the procedure. They would need to stay over night. I'm asking for $2100 to cover the cost of the hearing aids and well as travel, food, and lodging expenses. The second doctor visit we would also like to cover as well. With the small costs of each donation transaction and processing payment I am forced to estimate the total amount. Dr. Atanascio Cob would be the doctor for Arlen. We will be paying the bill directly through the hospital.
We ask for your help to help change a young boy's life. Arlen will be forced to be sent to another special education school away from his family and village if we cannot raise the funds for his hearing aids. Imagine yourself being taken away from your friends, family, and your entire world without any explanation. It would be an earth shattering feeling. I wouldn't wish that on anyone and now I'm doing my best to make sure that never happens, but I need your help.
His school year starts the beginning of September. The appointment date for his hearing aids we are targeting is the middle of August. It just so happens that Arlen's birthday is August 20th when he will be turning five. I can picture Arlen and his twin sister, Arlene, dressed up in their school clothes walking to class in their community. Now it's our chance to make it a reality.
Fundraising team (2)
Brian Argetsinger
Organizer
Avondale Estates, GA
Olivia Painchaud
Team member
