The human body is complex. There is more to simply counting five fingers and toes.
With every birth, a series of tests are given. The hearing screening for Chloe Parker came back with concerns and Kali, Chloe’s mom, returned a couple of weeks later for follow-up testing. Chloe could not hear. A battery of tests followed the next few months.
“Chloe was diagnosed at birth with Atresia, a closure in the ear canal, a medical condition causing her to be completely deaf in her left ear and partially deaf in her right ear,” said Chloe’s mother Kali Parker.
Chloe’s first four years were spent between doctor appointments and surgeries.
“It took years of different testing and surgeries to figure out what would work for her, what she was going to need,” she said.
At the age of five, Chloe had implant surgery that allowed her to wear Cochlear Baha’s bone-anchored hearing aids.
“Chloe was able to hear for the first time on her left side and gain close to 100 percent of her hearing in both ears,” said her mom.
Three years later Chloe’s implants needed an upgrade because the model she had was being discontinued.
The cost of the bills and implants were significant.
She received two grants from UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation that provided financial assistance with the upgrade hearing aids, supporting equipment and covered the cost of the warranty on the devices.
“UHCCF awards medical grants to help children get health-related services that are not fully covered by their family’s healthcare plan. Children may go without necessary treatment or they receive the care and families assume a large amount of debt. We understand these needs and are willing to help fill this void,” said Executive Director of UnitedHealthcare Junior Harewood.
“Being able to help families and children like Chloe strikes that chord,” he said. “It is something we are significantly proud of and is built within the context of the fabric of our mission.”
Chloe is into performing arts.
“Singing is her thing. That’s the thing she gravitates toward the most cause so much of her hearing goes into that and so for her to be able to participate in activities like that means so much.
“Ultimately she has a normal life because she has these and without UnitedHealthcare we couldn’t have done it,” said Kali. “No matter how great my degree or my insurance is, without their organization we wouldn’t have been able to make it through it. It is vital that people understand not to not look into it if they are used to being turned down, because that’s what I was doing.”
The fundraiser for UHCCF at Top Golf has been rescheduled for Aug. 26.
For more information, visit www.UHCCF.org
Each Sunday we write about a deserving person or charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To submit a story for us to cover, email us at ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
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