Everyday we’re touring the U.S. with our mobile outreach hearing clinic, or I’m having casual conversations with people at restaurants, stores or church, I hear “I’ve been told there’s nothing that can be done for my (my child’s/my spouse’s/my parent’s) hearing loss. I’m just stuck.”
Today, I was reminded of the smile that crosses a face when someone did get the best information. I was having breakfast with my husband at our hotel restaurant in Columbus, Oh, my hometown. As we wrapped up, I saw it. The external piece of a BAHA implant as I saw this man from behind.
I have to contain my excitement and have always had to work on that. Not everyone can take my “motherly love” for every person on this earth with hearing loss. So I checked it, then gleefully jumped up and tried not to run over to his table.
I politely tapped him on the shoulder and said “excuse me, is that a BAHA implant?” He shyfully, said, “yes it is with the kindest smile lighting up the room.”
Let’s pause. Allow me to remind you that a man who had severe-to-profound hearing loss could hear a normal conversation in a noisy hotel restaurant. He could hear every word with coffee cups clanging, children acting out at the table near by, waitresses asking to take plates and the pleasant conversations of families all around. HE COULD HEAR EVERY WORD I SAID.
So I go onto hear more of his story. He came over from Ethiopia and was told about the BAHA at the amazing Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. And here’s the best part…the part that should inspire you to get help for your hearing loss or to take charge to help a family member…he was back here from an entirely different country to get his check up and continue to take care of his hearing that he cherishes so much.
Of course I asked him what is the best part. He had hearing and lost it due to health issues and didn’t have hearing for years. For years he had lost hope. He admitted he was very sad because he was so disconnected to the world around him.
So as he told me about his sadness, I couldn’t help but be filled with such joy because he sat there telling me of his story with the biggest, kindest smile across his face.
You see, when Lexi was diagnosed, I was scared. I didn’t’ know how it was going to turn out. I prayed and prayed for months that God would allow her to hear a whisper, to hear her brother, to hear the MUSIC and lullabies I’d sing to her each night; but mostly, I wanted to HEAR HER SWEET LITTLE VOICE.
So the moment I witnessed her hearing a whisper, then two months later say “mom, mom, mom” for the first time…I vowed I would dedicate my life to helping everyone have access, information and the ability to hear and live normal lives, connected to the world around them.
Here’s I hear from everyday encounters and what we hear consistently out on the road touring, “they told me there’s nothing that can be done.” So let’s clear up some things for you and watch for major enhancements to our resources page to ensure everyone has accurate information and knows that they can HEAR.
First, we want you to get started by joining our family. When you take a free hearing screening online through our sister company, LexCare Hearing, you will also have a lifetime dashboard to monitor your hearing, get help and connect with one of our advocates/guides.
START YOUR JOURNEY TO HEAR:
https://www.lexcaregroup.com/lets-hear
COMMON MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT UNIQUE HEARING LOSS SITUATIONS:
- I have single-sided deafness and there’s nothing they can do for me.
- I have hearing loss in one ear and don’t need any help because I have a good ear.
- I don’t have parts and there’s nothing they can do.
First, when you’re not hearing with both ears, you’re not feeding your entire brain. You’re missing out on sounds and information. You’re not fully connected to others. It can cause depression, sadness and more. Second, there are many options that meet you where you are on your journey to be connected. Third, we are rooted in mission and want to help you, so you can trust us. We know you may have been misinformed, but we treat every person, every story uniquely and help you build a plan that’s right for YOU.
Conductive hearing loss (no cochlea or other parts are malformed or missing) - Bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA) are surgically implanted devices that may partially restore hearing for people with certain types of hearing loss. BAHA hearing aids use vibrations through the bones in your skull to send sounds to your inner ear.
Learn more from our friends at the Cleveland Clinic:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/14794-bone-anchored-auditory-implant
Single-sided deafness (one ear has severe-to-profound hearing loss) -
A great first step is the CROS hearing aid. Phonak, who recently donated several pair for us to donate this season, makes a great one. An easy way to understand how this works: a device is placed on the deaf ear and the sound from that side is sent over to the good ear. You then, have binaural hearing. This will keep you from constantly turning your head and experiencing mental fatigue.
More from Phonak:
https://supportapp.phonak.com/us/en/hearing-aids/phonak-cros-II.html
- CROS/BiCROS: Contralateral Routing of Signal/Bilateral Routing of Signal
- BAHA: Bone Anchored Hearing Aid
- Cochlear Implant surgery
Learn more about what option may be right for you from a generous company who supports our work and outreach, Cochlear Americas:
https://www.cochlear.com/us/en/home
We are HEAR for you!
