ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Audrey Brown is a vibrant young girl with a flair for a bit of sparkle.
"My style? Creativity, color and fashion – because I'm a diva," Audrey said.
It's hard to imagine she was once lacking confidence. However, she said she struggled for many years after doctors told her she needed to use hearing aids, which was a result of a childhood cancer battle and the need for chemotherapy.
"I was like, very blue, if you know what I mean," she said. "I didn't have any self-confidence. I was getting bullied a lot in school. They said things like, 'These are ugly. I don't like the color of them.'"
But Audrey decided to fight back by embracing what set her apart with flair – making hearing aid charms.
Her mother, Ashley Brown, designed the first pair, and then the duo perfected the design as a team.
"We had to make sure that they didn't cause the feedback, that they weren't too heavy," Ashley explained.
Audrey never considered keeping "the bling" all to herself.
"Once she started building her self-confidence with them, she said she would like to give back so others could feel the way she feels," Ashley said.
Audrey began to donate the charms to local hospitals and her audiologist's office.
"I donated 175 pairs already, almost 200," Audrey said.
She plans to continue making and donating the charms locally.
"My goal is to make others happy. I want to boost up not just my self-confidence, but other self-confidence, too."
Now, she turns a utility she was once reluctant to wear, into a favorite accessory.
"They're not like plain hearing aids anymore," Audrey said, "They're, like, colorful. I can imagine creativity now."
Audrey is not only creative but ambitious too. She hopes to one day start a business to be able to create more charms and sell them to anyone who might like a pair.