October 27, 2006
Dear Family & Friends,
With the Chicago Marathon behind me, and the fundraising effort coming to an end, I would like to update everyone. First of all and most importantly, thank you to everyone who contributed and helped make this fundraising effort a success. My family and I appreciate what all of you have done to help an organization that has impacted so many lives, and will continue to for years. The money that has been raised for Child’s Voice School will give other children the same educational opportunities as Eric had.
I’ve raised $4,655, which exceeded the $2,500 target in 10 days. That outpouring of support was very encouraging, which only forced me to train harder so that I was sure to cross the finish line! Along the way, I caught the attention of a deaf and hard of hearing organization. Thank you Dr. Ingrao for taking an interest in our story. Please see the link for the interview, go to ‘Features’: http://www.healthyhearing.com. Additionally, Child’s Voice notified me that the Oberkotter Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the Oral Deaf Education, would match dollar for dollar the money that has been raised. There is also another organization that matches 1:1 for new donors! Since most of you are, this is great news.
Eric has adjusted well to his new 1st grade mainstream environment. He has made many new friends, and takes the class work seriously. The most dramatic change for him was when he was introduced to an FM system. This is a device that allows him to receive sounds directly through a wireless microphone worn by the teacher. His face lit up the first time they used it, and he continues to use it on a daily basis. There are also more new developments in the world of cochlear implants that we are all excited about. In January 2007 they are introducing a new model that will provide 10 times more frequency bands than he has now. This will provide enhanced music appreciation, improved speech understanding, and significantly improved overall sound quality.
Lastly, the marathon was a great experience. I enjoyed everything from the training and preparation to the race and recovery. During the race itself came the thoughts and memories that I’ll retain for years. Laura, my parents, and the kids were able to see me at multiple spots along the course. They were even able to catch me at the 20 mile – when I really needed it! They enjoyed seeing me as much as I enjoyed seeing them. Today I feel great, and I am even thinking about future marathons. Thank you again to everyone who contributed and Child’s Voice School for all you have done!
Love, Eric, Justin, Jessica, Laura, and Vic
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Dear Family and Friends!
As many of you know, 6 years ago our son Eric was born profoundly deaf. Since he could not benefit from hearing aids, he received a cochlear implant shortly after his 1st birthday. During this time, we had heard about a school in the chicagoland area called Child’s Voice that specialized in children with needs like Eric’s. At this school, children who are hard of hearing and profoundly deaf learn to listen and talk without the use of sign language. Their goal is to help these children optimize their listening, speech, language, academic skills and their self-confidence so that they can be successful in a mainstream educational setting and society.
On our first visit, we were inspired by the abilities of the children and the dedication of the staff. I wish that everyone could see the miracles that take place on a daily basis at Child’s Voice. We enrolled Eric at 2 ½ years old. This past June, Eric graduated from Child’s Voice School. He just started first grade at his public elementary school. We are confident that he has developed the skills necessary to mainstream with great success. This would not have been possible at such a young age had it not been for Child’s Voice.
On October 22nd, I'll be running 26.2 miles in my first Chicago Marathon. Even more importantly, through their charity program I am running in honor of Child’s Voice School http://www.childsvoiceschool.com/. I am committed to raise funds for the school so that other children have the same opportunities as Eric. Thank you for your support. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who you think might want to help too!
--Vic
October 9, 2006
Thanks to everyone who has donated so far! Here is a list of people who donated offline:
Arnold Pritzker - $50.00
Sharon Kexel - $20.00
Jason Simon - $20.00
Marilu Ortez - $20.00
Janene Richardson - $50.00
McHugh Family - $20.00
Charlotte Kohn - $18.00
Spiro Family - $50.00
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Altbach - $100.00
Teri Joyce - $15.00
Alan Adamski - $10.00
Andrew Ly & Family - $20.00
Mr. & Mrs. Ten Eyck - $25.00
Donna Gosman/Grainger - $200.00
Marc Lichtman - $25.00
Laura & Keith Jachim - $25.00