Hayleigh Scott was a tiny baby, and her life was in danger. She was born with a hole in her diaphragm—a sheet of muscle and tendon that helps people breathe. Her tiny body needed lots of treatment. The treatment saved her life. But it caused her to lose much of her hearing. Hayleigh has been wearing hearing aids behind her ears since she was just 18 months old.

At first, Hayleigh’s parents hid her hearing aids. They bought skin-colored ones that blended in. They combed her hair over them. They wanted people to see Hayleigh, not her disability.

But when Hayleigh got bigger, she had other ideas. At the age of five, she started to draw pictures of charms to be worn on hearing aids. She didn’t want to hide the amazing machines that helped her hear. She wanted to make them look beautiful.

When she was 10, Hayleigh turned her idea for “hearing aid bling” into a business. She started making charms that attached to hearing aids. Her sisters joined in. One started making matching necklaces. The other made bracelets.

Adjusting to having a disability is never easy. Over the past few years, Hayleigh’s Cherished Charms business has helped many kids and adults with hearing loss enjoy their hearing aids instead of hide them. One customer says the charms get people’s attention. They help people remember that she might need them to face her while talking so she can read their lips.

Hayleigh makes all her charms by hand. She sells her products online. Then she ships them to customers with a personal note attached. Her favorite part of running a business is hearing back from customers. She loves knowing her hard work brings others joy.