Help Izzy Hear

Miss Izzy is our rambunctious, intelligent three year old. Though she seems like any other "normal" kid, she has experienced hearing loss for which we have no answer. Since birth, Randy and I have had questions about her hearing. She failed the hospital screenings twice and was referred to a specialist. The one test performed in this doctor's office reassured us first-time parents that everything was okay with our baby. Fast forward to Izzy's two-year checkup. Her doctor was concerned because of Izzy's lack of speech development. Upon hearing this, Randy and I again became concerned about her hearing. Over the next few months, we noticed just how much Izzy wasn't saying or wasn't saying correctly. The one phrase she said that we recognized instantly was "turn it up." A sure sign of a problem! After the next wellness checkup, we were referred to the Tennessee Early Intervention System. The ladies who worked with Izzy were, too, concerned with her speech; yet, Izzy passed all levels of development enough to disqualify her for special services, specifically speech therapy. Ultimately, we ended up at an audiologist's office where we eventually received tubes. Izzy showed an improvement with speech, but nothing significant enough that would suggest her problems were behind her. After months of hearing evaluations and meeting with a new audiologist, we have received her diagnosis as moderate hearing loss in one hear and severe hearing loss in the other. As shocking as this news was - Izzy has obviously made some impressive adjustments to function as she does - our main objective is to provide Izzy with whatever she needs so that she can hear and communicate effectively with everyone.

Now, we are faced with our own Catch 22. Randy is a firefighter and paramedic full time for a local city fire department. Also, he is in school full-time and a member of the Air National Guard. Randy was in the Army as an EOD Tech and served in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I am a teacher with a master's degree in one of the lowest paying counties in Tennessee. Although we make a living, own a home and our cars, this unexpected medical cost has us looking for financial options. Sure, we can set up a payment plan, but we already have staggering student loan payments, as well as other debts, that we struggle with every month. So while we have a financial need, our income level, which is just above the minimum requirement for state assistance, disqualifies us, and our insurance will not cover the cost of the devices that Izzy needs. Similarly, we have found tons of private endowments or grants; yet again, though, the required financial need seems to disqualify us for the majority of those options. I have found one grant for which I have applied, but an amount to be rewarded is not stated.

Your donation will go straight to Izzy's hearing aids so that she can continue to thrive without struggling to be understood by others. In the event that insurance covers some of the cost and/or that we receive some funding through a grant, the donations will be placed in a fund for future medical expenses specifically related to Izzy's hearing. Afterall, her ears will need new molds frequently since she is so young.

Thank you for your generosity!

For a look at how hearing loss affects people in the US and how insurance companies treat this disability, please view the CNN Health report found here: Hearing loss an 'invisible,' and widely uninsured, problem.