21 Mar Gabe’s Story
Big or small, all good deeds have the ability to transform someone’s life for the better.
For 12-year-old Gabe, his impactful and life changing deed involves collecting hearing aids, which are being refurbished and fitted to individuals who cannot afford them in the United States through the Hearing Aid Project.
Contribute directly to his fundraiser here!Gabe lives in Merrick, New York, located on Long Island and has unilateral hearing loss in his right ear. He was inspired to collect hearing aids for Hearing Charities of America (HCOA), because of his personal journey with hearing loss.
At the age of five, Gabe was diagnosed with cholesteatoma. Cholesteatoma is a type of cyst that eats away at the bones in the inner ear. Gabe had surgeries to remove the cholesteatoma from his right ear, but due to multiple complications, he needed a hearing aid.
In addition to using his hearing aid, Gabe regularly sees a speech-language pathologist, an educational audiologist, an audiologist and an otolaryngologist/surgeon.
He is currently preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, which will take place November 9, 2019. A Bar Mitzvah is the coming of age ceremony in Judaism. Since Gabe has a personal connection to hearing loss, he wanted his Bar Mitzvah project to focus on helping others get hearing aids.
Gabe hopes to collect as many hearing aids as he possibly can, and has been actively reaching out to synagogues, as well as some of his favorite doctors, friends and family members to spread the word.
“My hearing aid has helped me hear and learn, but my entire hearing history and journey has helped me grow as a person,” Gabe said. “It has helped me to be patient, and to understand what others may be going through.”
If you would like to support Gabe’s journey in collecting hearing aids, you can visit his website – https://hear-shomea.com/
He has also created a personal fundraiser to support hearing aid refurbishing and clinical services. Contribute directly to his fundraiser here!
Every hearing aid changes a life, and every $500 raised allows one hearing aid to be refurbished and fitted to someone in need.
Are you interested in learning how to set up your own collection center? Get started today!