I am Discovery’s latest Medical Miracle!
Fantastic, I can hear you say. But how did this happen?
Well, it all started two years ago when I began blogging. Blogging, I have discovered is not merely about writing and publishing your piece. Oh no, believe you me, there is far more to it than that. If you desire to make some kind of living from blogging, you need to persuade companies to advertise on your blog.
I decided to approach Discovery Health to see if they might be interested in having an advertisement on my blog. Discovery Health is one of the leading private medical aid companies in South Africa. It is thanks to them that I have re-gained my hearing. Through my Cochlea Implants, sound and in a way, “the world” was given back to me. My blog had a reasonable amount of followers, I thought. I had 298! Discovery Health would surely jump at the chance. Need I point out how desperately blogging-naive I was at that stage! They very politely declined! I did not meet their criteria. Not meet their criteria! Well…I thought, a little indignantly, well…Flip!
Time and my blogging moved on. And the followers of ‘ear ‘ear’ increased.

When my number of followers reached three thousand, I thought the time was right to approach Discovery Health again. I had no knowledge of what criteria were being used to judge me, but I thought that my three thousand followers would be sure to sway them in my direction. This time my very polite and well thought out letter didn’t even get a response! Blast it, I wished I knew what criteria they were judging me by.
Last July when visiting England I was fortunate to meet Sarah Lawrence and her business partner, Simon Deacy. Sarah is the creator of SL First, the English Deaf magazine. Over a gorgeous brunch, they mentioned LinkedIn to me. Simon was amazed that I wasn’t on it and explained that it was the business persons Facebook. He felt it was vital that I joined LinkedIn. Oh no I thought not more social media! But, back I came to South Africa and LinkedIn and I are now well acquainted.
One day on LinkedIn, I encountered the CEO of Discovery Health. Oh, great stuff! I had made no headway going through the normal marketing channels with Discovery. Let me try a different approach and tackle the person at the top. And so I invited him to “connect”. As if hearing the Siren’s song, much to my amazement, the CEO duly connected!
I was now privy to the CEO’s email address! So, I wrote and spoke of my wish to have Discovery Health advertise on my blog. I also expressed a desire to be an ambassador for Discovery. They had done so much for me regarding my hearing. I would be a terrific motivational speaker for them at any future corporate event or conference.
A whole week passed and I heard nothing. Had I overplayed my hand and come on too strong? Then on the tenth day, I opened my computer and lo and behold, there was a response to my e-mail. I opened it with trepidation. What I read amazed me.
Twenty five years ago, a few weeks before my accident, he had started taking out one of my housemates. Apparently while I was in a coma, he went with her to visit me in hospital. There he had met Mum and Dad. He knew all about me! He had passed on my information to his marketing department and they would be in touch.

I stared at the e-mail in amazement. Glory be, isn’t it strange the twists and turns that make up life. This “boyfriend” then went on to become CEO of Discovery Health. I did not die as expected, and years later approached him about advertising on my blog. I don’t believe in coincidence. I don’t believe in chance. I believe that there is a plan in our intersections. We have choices as to how we act. I smile at the the two of us “encountering” each other twenty five years later. His marketing department duly got in touch with me. I would appear on Discovery’s website as their Medical Miracle. That would give me unbelievable exposure.
And so the making of Medical Miracle began……

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You can have a have a look at my full Discovery ‘Medical Miracle’ piece by clicking here

This is the film we made together!