Julie Steele
Julie's VLM page
Fundraising for The Ear Trust
Story
*********UPDATE*********
LONDONE! as it says on my T-Shirt!
I completed the Virgin London Marathon (30th Anniversary) in a time of 4 hours 49 minutes 39 seconds - absolutely amazing experience, and a truly memorable weekend!
All that remains is to thank all my sponsors both on my Justgiving page and my sponsor sheet, my family, friends and club mates for all their support, without whom I would not have been able to do it - you're all stars!
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
I have set myself my biggest challenge yet and am running the Virgin London Marathon on 25th April 2010. Having suffered hearing loss due to a perforated ear drum since the age of 4 I underwent surgery twice during the 1980's under the expert care of ENT Surgeon Chris Raine, founder of the Ear Trust.
Chris' interest was aroused in the late 1980's by a developing new technology that could enable the profoundly deaf to hear again, the so called 'Bionic Ear' or Cochlear Implant.
WHAT IS A COCHLEAR IMPLANT?A Cochlear implant is an electronic device that has two parts. One part is implanted, the other being worn externally.
Unlike hearing aids, which amplify sounds, a cochlear implant bypasses the parts of the ear that don't work to send an electronic signal direct to the inner ear (the cochlea). In this way a cochlear implant can enable a profoundly deaf person to perceive the sensation of sound.
The internal part of the implant consists of a receiver, which is surgically fitted to the bone behind the ear and a series of electrode bands, which are fitted inside the cochlea and stimulate the auditory nerve.
The internal part is surgically buried under the skin. The external part of the cochlear implant consists of a speech processor, a microphone and a coil transmitter. Behind the ear systems (BTEs) are available with all implants.
Following the success of the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service they now manage hundreds of patients and their families throughout Yorkshire and beyond, this being the motivation to design and build a new unit. The Listening For Life Centre is unique in the UK, having under one roof facilities to assess and support patients who have significant problems with their hearing.
Whilst the fabric of the building has been completed they still have a way to go in obtaining equipment. With your support they still need to raise some £300,000 to complete this development.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.
When you've done that you may like to visit my blog http://joolzvlm2010.blogspot.com/ and read how I'm getting on with my training!
Best Wishes
Julie x