NEW!!! So is regaining hearing through a cochlear implant as simple as “plug and play?” If only. Olivia writes: “Physically, I should be okay to return to normal activities within 1-2 weeks, if things go well. Hearing-wise, a little different. “I won’t have my implant activated until 4 weeks after the surgery. Most people hear things in beeps/Mickey mouse voice/ very robotic at the initial activation. It will take several weeks or several months of follow ups with my audiologist and what they call ‘mapping’- this is the adjustment and programming of the implant which is unique to each person. “No one has the same timeline, it’s all dependent on how your brain adapts. There will be many ‘mapping’ appointments in the first year, and hopefully we’ll be down to just an annual mapping after the first year, but again every experience is unique.” The fact that restoring hearing through a cochlear implant is a process and not an event is one reason why we are pursuing such an ambitious fundraising goal: there will be continuing medical and other expenses beyond the surgery. And why Olivia will need our prayers not just for a successful surgery, but for a successful activation and “mapping.” BTW, Olivia has shared an Instagram post by a young woman who had a cochlear implant and discusses her experience with this adjustment period, and why it is a physical as well as an emotional challenge. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cvaw3lstgct/?id=3160053014836152109_34567359567&fbclid=IwAR2YT_vfjjDRBxhBlei_zADh3gViOeuq3fUPhhhx49ybeONhQQrTx6y6Dqs *** Original post: Our friend and neighbor, Olivia Curro, is a talented, highly intelligent and wonderfully engaging young woman – and newlywed – facing an enormous challenge: a “profound hearing loss.” To know her is to love her, and we are honored to support her in pursuing a truly life-changing opportunity. Olivia and her new husband Ricky share her story – and the journey ahead – below: OLIVIA: Even with the hearing aids I’ve had since I was 8 years old, I can no longer perceive sound under 115 decibels – the level of a rock concert or a leaf blower – which now sound to me like a soft whisper. This profound hearing loss challenges me in every aspect of life, creating a huge communication barrier at work, home, church or everyday life: • Struggling to hear in social settings has left me disconnected, isolated and lonely. I miss out when something funny makes everyone around the table laugh, and can’t add to group conversations, making me hesitant to join groups at church or hang out with friends. • I’m limited career-wise, as I can’t hear on phone calls, fully participate in discussions, or interact with colleagues or the children I used to work with. • I’m frustrated at being unable to hear sermons at church, because I want to learn from them and grow. • I would give anything to be able to hear the sounds of God’s beautiful creation again: music, the sounds of waves crashing or birds in the sky – the little things that we take for granted. The solution my doctors propose: a cochlear implant in my left ear. Hearing aids amplified my now-lost residual hearing, but an implant will bypass my damaged inner ear and stimulate the auditory nerve directly. The surgery, if successful, will allow me to rediscover the joy of hearing— whether my new husband’s voice, praise music at church, or the sounds of nature – and allow me to reconnect with the world and live anew! RICKY: Living with a hearing impairment is a daily struggle that Olivia has never allowed to hold her back. She is a fighter... a survivor... and an inspiration to everyone who knows her. But now, she needs our help. Olivia faced a bitter disappointment when her health insurer initially refused to cover the cochlear implant that will allow her to reconnect with life. That decision has been reversed – but the insurance still leaves a large gap in costs and related expenses. We've set up this LFEBridge campaign -- to close that gap. Every donation counts, no matter how small. The support of dear friends like you will not only make the surgery possible but will also give Olivia the hope and strength she needs to keep fighting.
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