TEMPE, Ariz. — It’s an incredible story out of the East Valley, an 8th-grade student is raising money to replace his teacher’s hearing aid, something her insurance isn’t covering.
“We were talking to my ASL teacher, and she said that she needed a new hearing aid, but we realized that insurance wouldn’t cover the new hearing aid,” said Drew Passmonick, a student at Kyrene Middle School.
When Passmonick heard his American Sign Language teacher, Jess Brose’s hearing aid broke, he knew he needed to take action.
“I started a GoFundMe,” he said.
While living with a hearing impairment is nothing new for Mrs. Brose, Trying to get by with a broken hearing aid has been wearing on her. She said they’re usually replaced after three to five years, but it’s been eight.
“I’ve just learned to develop, to work, to earn…” she said. “Having insurance not cover it, it’s a big deal."
When she heard Drew wanted to help raise money to buy her a new one, she was in tears. While she didn’t want to accept it at first, she did, amazed by his kindness.
“He’s trying to restore that humanity for other deaf people, the community to understand the struggles," she said.
“She is such an integral part of our community,” said Scott Maxwell, KMS principal, who jumped on board getting even more people to donate. “Just in a matter of 24 hours, over $2,000 were raised."
For every donation big or small, Passmonick is thankful.
“The hearing community and the deaf community can come together to do great things,” said Passmonick.
And so is Mrs. Brose. After all, a new hearing aid will give her a priceless opportunity.
“Just to embrace those sounds a little bit more, until I lose all of my hearing,” Brose said. “Drew making this fundraiser, it blows my mind that this happened.”
Drew’s fundraiser is aiming to reach $6,000 and they only have a few hundred more to go.
If you’d like to donate, go to the GoFundMe page.
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