I’m a deaf software developer. Instead of a traditional GoFundMe, I built an interactive 20,000-pixel monument to fund my final hearing surgery. Here is why I chose this model.

Hi everyone,

I’m a Software Developer and ISO 27001 Auditor from Turkey, and I’ve lived in absolute silence for 33 years due to microtia and facial paralysis.

After 19 surgeries, I have one final shot at hearing through a Bionic Ear surgery, which costs $20k. As an entrepreneur at heart, I didn't want to just post a donation link and wait. I wanted to build a "Digital Monument" that provides permanent recognition to those who support me.

The Strategy: I used PHP, MySQL, and Stripe (with an assist from AI/Cursor) to create a 20,000-pixel grid.

• Each contribution reveals a section of an image representing my dreams.
• Unlike a standard donation, every supporter gets their name and a personal message embedded in the grid forever.
• It’s a permanent legacy, not just a transaction.

We’ve already revealed 754 pixels thanks to early supporters.

I'm sharing this because I'd love to discuss this "Interactive Fundraising" model with this community. In a world of "donation fatigue," do you think skill-based, interactive platforms are a viable future for personal causes?

I’ve put the project link in the first comment and also on my Reddit profile for those who want to see the UI/UX.

Would love to hear your feedback on the "Bootstrapping" process and the model itself!