I contracted a rare, foreign Meningitis this year, I've never been abroad. I survived but am now almost completely and profoundly deaf. This is half due to the Meningitis, half due also to the ototoxic effects of the antibiotics that saved me. My passage into what is known as the 'deaf world', is terrifying and heartbreaking. My left ear is deaf and my right almost deaf, I hear a little. I am crippled with shrieking tinnitus since I woke up in Hospital, I think it is worse than the deafness in terms of sheer torture.

I always wanted to play Piano properly but never had the time nor the money. Now I am going profoundly deaf, it is one of the things I must do before that happens. Since the illness, I read of Beethoven's struggle with his deafness, his story of using pieces of wood between his head and the piano body and even biting the piano to try to feel each note and chord as vibration and make sense of music and composition again. He literally demolished pianos to try to 'hear' music again.

It inspired me to try to do this in some way. I would like to be able to improve enough to play well before I go deaf. I am learning to lipread and also sign language, BSL, for 3 years duration, I hope to pass on my experience on this terrible journey that I am now on to others in the same position.

I'm not asking in greed for anything, just enough to buy a used digital stage piano, that will last me a few years. It is expected I will be completely deaf within the next 1 to 2 years.

If I can buy it cheaper, I won't need all of the money and if anyone out there has a used digital stage piano going unplayed, I am not proud.

I also need tinnitus surpressors, not available on the National Health, and a hearing aid for what little remains of my haring in my right ear. I am hoping to access this through the National Health but it is a long waiting list and the cost is over £3000. I don't know what will happen regarding that just yet.

Thanks for reading. God Bless.