Help a child to hear rain drops on meadows this spring

I'm running at the Go! St. Louis Half-Marathon for a charity that is very personal to me: The Center for Hearing & Speech.

My son Kai was born with hearing impairment. For the first three years of his life, he could not hear, talk, or fully enjoy normal activities like group story-time or sing-along. I will never forget the moment when Kai heard for the first time--it was a rainy day, Kai just got his first set of hearing aids. He stood in the front yard quietly for a long time, mesmerized by the sound of the rain drops on the grass. He did not know what it was first, but his 3-year-old mind soon became curious and explorative of a life that had been largely silent. Fast forward, thanks to all the professionals who helped with the diagnosis, the hearing devices, and most importantly, the endless therapies that trained him to hear and speak, Kai is now a well-adjusted high school student who is competing on the varsity debate team.

As lucky as we are, I know many children and families could not afford hearing aids and years of speech/hearing therapies. I strongly believe that EVERY CHILD DESERVES THE GIFT OF HEARING! This spring, will you join me helping a child to hear rain drops splattering on meadows? Please support me by just clicking on one of the donate buttons!

The Center for Hearing & Speech is a non-profit organization that serves people from low-income families in need of speech therapy and hearing services.

Your donation goes a long way to help me meet my goal for the Center ... and to help kids in need. Thank you!