Nicole (Nikki), is my daughter and when I think of what inspiration is, I think of Nikki. She has overcome so many obstacles--heart surgery, bowel surgeries, bacterial meningitis, and a liver transplant, all before she was 1 years old. Nikki is deaf in one ear, and has Auditory Neuropathy in her other ear (a disconnect between sounds entering the ear, and perception by the brain of those sounds). Since she was 18 months old, Nikki has been attending the Atlanta Speech School (on a scholarship). She has reached the limit of her speech development. Her speech is very hard to understand and without being able to hear correctly, Nikki will not progress any further. A Cochlear Implant will provide an opportunity for Nikki to hear sounds that she has never heard, learn speech that she otherwise would never learn, pronounce her sisters' names, sing the alphabet, and grow and develop into an amazing inspiration for others as she has been for me. My family's insurance has denied to cover the cochlear implant that Nikki so desperately needs; despite an online petition that has gathered over 170,000 signatures, at https://www.change.org/p/cigna-approve-coverage... . Christopher Harris, who is a Hollywood Publicist, contacted me via the change.org website and asked if he could help. Mr. Harris and Cory Skyler have generously devoted numerous hours of their own time, resources, ideas, and inspiration, all the while not wanting anything in return except the opportunity to help.
Nikki loves to sing, do crafts, play outside, read, go to school, and do all the things that make little girls so amazing (I have three, so I know). She has so much love and kindness in her heart, so much spirit in her laughter, and a twinkle in her eye that lights up the room.
Nikki has fought so hard in her young life, and now she needs this Cochlear Implant to give her a break from having to fight every day just to try to understand the sounds and noises that surround us all. Please help with whatever you can, spread this message on Facebook, Twitter, emails, and with friends and family.
Thank you,
John Fitzmayer, Nikki's Dad.
