Group Seeking Funds To “Help Holli Hear” The Methodist Hospital in Memphis has agreed to do the surgery for a total cost of $25,000 We have a very special barrel racer in the state of Mississippi. Her name is Holli Rhoda Dennison. Holli is 25 years old and has been riding horses long before she could walk. She didn’t have a chance to do anything else but show horses because of her grandparents and mother were very competitive in the horse industry. Holli is the oldest child of two. Her brother is Cody Rhoda that competes in the bull riding event and her mother is Sharon West that competes in barrel racing. Holli grew up competing in barrel racing with several girls that are still ride today. She was very special out of about a dozen girls at our local barrel races. See Holli had a talent that the other children didn’t have. She could read lips when you talked to her when none of the other children could. Holli was born with almost a total loss of hearing in both of her ears. Growing up in the horse industry was really great for Holli. It took a lot of courage for her to mount those powerful horses and run those cans. Most of us that take our hearing for granted, please take a moment and put yourself in Holli’s saddle. She cannot hear them call her name when it is time to come running, she cannot hear you cheering her on, she cannot hear the music playing, but the good of it all is she can feel that powerful horse under her tiny little body. Holli can see and feel things that most of us don’t pay attention to. Holli married a young man from the rodeos, Josh Dennison, and together they have the most precious little boy, Carter, which is now almost 2 yrs old. I think of the times that Holli has missed out of hearing her little boy cry, laugh and the sweet sounds he makes. With new technology, they have recently discovered a new device that is surgically implanted into the ear. With this device this could totally change Holli’s life. I guess we can only imagine what it would be like for her to be able to hear people talking to her, music that she has only felt the beat before, a horse neigh, a dog bark, but most of all, her baby boy. Holli was scheduled to have this miracle surgery in Memphis Tennessee back in July when her mother received a phone call from the hospital just a week before her surgery date with some very upsetting news. The insurance had denied payment. The cost of the surgery was over $70,000.00. Her mother was on a mission trying to find a way for the insurance company to approve this surgery for Holli. All roads were leading to a dead end. The disappointment has been unbearable for Holli and her family. The Methodist Hospital in Memphis has agreed to do the surgery for a total cost of $25,000.00 and more cost for her following up care after the surgery. Not only would this change Holli’s life, it will also change her son’s, family and friends life. When the Mississippi and Tennessee barrel racers found out that Holli could not pay for this surgery we pulled together and had a local benefit barrel race where we raised over $10,500.00. It didn’t stop there, Brenda with Fortune 5 had a race in Memphis where she donated the “Love Offering” from her church service to give to Holli’s fund. The most wonderful of all miracles was when someone came up to Holli after church and handed her a check for the balance of the money she needed for the surgery. It is just amazing the support and donations that Holli received within four weeks of our mission to raise the money from the barrel horse industry. Her surgery was scheduled on October 22nd. On behalf of Holli and her family we would like to personally thank everyone that contributed their time and donations to make this happen. Please, if you are going to donate to a good cause this year we are asking for your donation to the “HELP HOLLI HEAR FUND”. Any money not used for Holli will stay in a fund for the next person in need of the surgery. You can make donations to: The Circle Cross Cowboy Church, 9088 Valkrie Lane, Lakeland, Tn. 38002 Or contact June Trusty, IBRA Mississippi State Director at 901-409-9009 for more information. PLEASE LET’S PULL TOGETHER AND DO IT FOR HOLLI! Sincerely, June Trusty-Mississippi IBRA Director