I am Maria Kathrina ‘Kcat’ Yarza. I was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) in 2004. Complications of the tumor growth in my brain changed my vision and gave me numbness/weakness in my left arm and legs which made me partially disabled. The fluid build-up in my brain and the bilateral acoustic schwannomas gradually affected my hearing. In January 2006, I totally lost my hearing. I was prepared to face the world of silence and accept what was happening to me but I never lost hope that MIRACLES do happen.And they did! I came across the Auditory Brainstem Implant on the internet, and this was the start of another journey in my life. I launched my hEAR (Help my EAR hEAR) campaign. I designed shirts and sold them to raise funds for my implant. I underwent a series of tests: audiometric tests, ASSR, and EAM/promontory stimulation to assess if I would benefit from the Cochlear Implant. It was a positive result—my left auditory nerves were still viable! In April 2008, I had my Cochlear Implantation, very rare for a NF2 patient and the moment of truth happened on May 16, 2008, my SWITCH ON. I heard the sounds of the world after 2 years of silence. My CI worked! Currently, I can now detect more environmental sounds and identify male vs. female voices. I know it may take more time to understand those sounds, but soon I will be able to hEAR you all again . . . clearly.
***my poster for aanoa. panalo ang model syempre! haha!
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