• Wildomar Rallies Around Young Isabella

What happens when a seven year old girl with hearing difficulties needs new hearing aids, that are way outside the family budget, and insurance doesn't cover them?

If she's from Wildomar, the community steps in to help.

Seven year old Isabella speaking with Bridgette Moore in front of the group.

Young Isabella is in the after school program called THINK Together at Wildomar Elementary School. April Watkins is the coordinator of the program and also the head of the EarlyAct Club at the school. It's the elementary version of Rotary. 

When the student leaders of EarlyAct heard about the needs of Isabella, they went into action. Planning a fundraiser, which was a dinner at the school. That event raised, about $860... but was still well short of the $2600 necessary to get the new hearing aids.

That was anticipated, and another fundraiser was already in the works. A dinner at the VFW. 

The meal was bacon wrapped pork, and the meat was donated by Barons, it was cooked to perfection by the Caring Hearts team lead by Ina Schieffer, Cari Gardner and Tim Underdown.

Jamie also uses hearing aids.

Isabella's mom, Jamie, spoke for a few moments, and began with a heartfelt thanks for all those that took an interest in her daughter's situation, and helped. 

She then shared the good news that the doctor bumped Isabella's new hearing aids to the next level, about a $1000 difference. So, instead of hearing aids that cost roughly $2600, she now has the model that usually runs around $3700. 

The best part was the story of when Isabella first heard the world through her new hearing aids. After putting them on, her face lit up, and looked at her mother —with wide eyes— and said, "Mom, I can hear you... really, really good!"

Martin Haeberle, the incoming president of the Wildomar Rotary Club, also a wearer of hearing aids, thanked the attendees for coming and sponsoring the event. Then looked at Isabella and said, 

"You inspired our club. This is not going to be the last time we do this (help a young person with hearing aids). We have decided, as a club, [that] we don't want youth to be without hearing aids in our schools. It helps us learn, it helps with everything. We are now committed to making sure that nobody goes without [hearing aids] in our Lake Elsinore School District."

There is another fundraiser associated with this cause. The location will be at David A Brown middle school, and it'll be a "movie night" on Thursday April 27th, starting at 3:00pm. Cost is $3 to get in, and then there will also be refreshments available too. All are invited to attend.

As people were finishing their desserts of ice cream, strawberries and drizzled chocolate, there was one last part of the program.

Elsinore High School grad, class of 2005, Amy Martinez was the motivational speaker for the evening. She has a story all her own. 

It came on suddenly one routine morning in early 2015, and before she knew it she was in the hospital, and about six months after that she became a quadruple amputee. Her extremities lost to sepsis. 

Her story is much more than that brief sentence, so if you have a chance to hear her speak, be sure to do it.

What a terrific community we live in. It's right there... right outside your door. Don't be shy, come on out and experience a bit of it yourself. In fact, next Saturday morning come on out to Marna O'Brien park to get a feel of it.

There will be a 5K run-walk bringing attention to water safety. 

There will be plenty of things to do, even for non runners. Take a look at the video promotion that THINK Together helped make, and you'll be sure to put this on your calendar. ☺

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There is always some good in a situation, if you focus on that, then you're sure to have a happier life. Just see the joy in things.

– Amy Martinez

Wildomar Rap has always believed it's key to rejoice in your portion.