Levi's story: Donate to help the hearing impaired
For eight year old Levi Craven, the world was a totally different place. Levi was born without hearing and received a unique cochlear implant surgery by the time that he was two, giving him the ability to hear clearly. The cochlear implant is a small electronic device that's surgically implanted in the inner ear to assist individuals with severe to profound hearing loss pick up sound. The implant works by bypassing the damaged parts of the ear and stimulating the auditory nerve with electrical currents that the brain then interprets as sound. Cochlear implants can help people understand speech in both quiet and noisy environments and most young children can even learn to speak with them, as did Levi.
Cochlear implants are different from traditional hearing aids, which amplifies sound to stimulate the ear. Instead, the cochlear implants use two main components, an external system, which Levi wears as a headband containing a microphone, sound processor and transmitter that sends signals to the implanted system in his inner ear.
{Image: Contributed} Donate to Levi’s Squad today to help give hope to hearing loss.
The surgery to implant a cochlear implant is a safe outpatient procedure that takes about two hours. Levi’s implant surgery was completed in two parts. His parents, Quintina Dennis and Brandon Craven recall the emotion and the excitement of the day that Levi’s cochlear implant was activated, stating that the new sounds startled him at first and took a few months for him to become fully acclimated to. “It was the most beautiful moment ever”, expressed Levi’s grandmother, Saundra Craven. After activation, Levi went through a series of programming and rehabilitation to train his brain to recognize speech and his new exposure to the world of sound. Today, Levi attends school and is a healthy, thriving and intelligent child. He continues to work with an audiologist, speech-language pathologist and he also receives listening therapy and communication management twice a week.
{Image: contributed} Levi’s Squad smiles for camera after completing last year’s Hearing Loss Association of America’s Walk4Hearing in Cary, N.C.
On Sunday, October 13th there will be a special fundraiser sponsored by the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). This is the sixth year that Levi’s Squad has participated in the Walk4Hearing, a nationwide campaign that brings hope to people with hearing loss in 21 cities across the U.S. to raise awareness and show support for hearing health. At the walks teams of family and friends will join local HLAA Chapters from across the state, as well as nonprofits and business to raise funds and promote hearing health.
The Walk4Hearing is tomorrow at WakeMed Soccer Park located at 201 Soccer Park Drive in Cary with the following schedule:
Registration – 10:30 a.m.
Stage Presentation – 12:00 p.m.
Walk Starts – 12:15 p.m.
To donate to Levi’s Squad please click on the link below.
https://www.walk4hearing.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=3711
{Image: Contributed} To purchase a custom tshirt in support of Levi’s Squad, please click on the link below.
Every year Levi’s mother, Quintina designs custom graphics for tshirts to help reach their fundraising goal. This year’s tshirt design is available for $18 each and can be ordered here. https://www.facebook.com/DesignsByQ21?mibextid=ZbWKwL.
Help to bring hope for hearing loss.
