Waiting to Hear...

...and the latest response from SunMed is..."Mrs. Blakely, I will contact you as soon as I hear from the insurance company." Here is what I would send if I we are still waiting at the end of this week:


Dear (insurance company):

My ten year old child, Brooklyn Blakely, is seeking approval for replacement processors for her cochlear implants. I understand that your work load holds tremendous weight and we are trying to express patience as we await this approval but we have basically been on hold since the first of February.

While everyone in your office enjoys impromptu conversations with strangers in a day's passing or the background music playing overhead in your favorite local retailer, my child is missing out. She smiles and nods her head at random people as they speak because she has no idea what they just said, or may have asked. She has to ask what song is on the radio because half the time sound is cutting in and out. The eight year old "ears" she is currently wearing fail her almost daily as she gets up in the middle of class instruction to try to restart them, sometimes without any luck at all. This is very embarrassing for her since nobody else in her class has hearing loss.

While everyone in your office enjoys relaxing at home after work, she comes home in tears on some days, purely exhausted from trying to hear the world around her. I understand the difficulty of an overwhelming case load, but as you hear the softest droplets of the rain on your rooftop or listen to the words of your favorite church hymn, please remember my daughter. She needs those things too. Thank you so much and please look into her case if you get a chance. It is important we get her replacements as soon as possible.

Thank you, Val Blakely