Braden Baker never imagined that his hearing condition would lead him to making an impact in the lives of so many others like him.
The 10-year-old from Fort Worth, was just an infant when doctors learned that he has bilateral sensorineural hearing loss — which can worsen over time. In the years that followed, Braden grew up wearing a pair of hearing aids, and learned a valuable lesson about the devices when the family’s beloved dog, Chewy, destroyed them — twice.
“We had the responsibility talk and the value of money talk, because hearing aids are not covered by insurance. Gratefully we could afford to get some,” Braden’s mom, Ashley Baker, tells PEOPLE. “His hearing aids run anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000. We were like, ‘Braden, you’ve got to be more responsible.’ ”
The importance of the “money talk” was not lost on the fifth grader, though. Soon, Braden began thinking about the hearing impaired children who are unable to afford the costly devices. So, he came up with an idea.
“I was like, ‘How could I give back,’ you know?” Braden recalls. “So, I told my mom about GoFundMe and we started a GoFundMe page!” Ashley, 45, adds that Braden loves to watch The Ellen DeGeneres Show and was inspired by the generous host to help those in need.
Keep reading on his GoFundMe page.