Anonymous donor helps Ear Community raise awareness about Microtia and Atresia and kindness at Wonder movie prescreening

November 16, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

Tickets to our prescreening of the film Wonder on November 15th, 2017 for Ear Community.

On Wednesday, November 15th, 2017, at 6pm in Broomfield, Colorado, the Ear Community Organization was fortunate to bring families and their children together from a local elementary school to view the prescreening of the movie, “Wonder.” Thanks to an anonymous donor, Ear Community was given the opportunity to buyout two theaters for families with children that have Microtia and Atresia or who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Founder and Executive Director of Ear Community, Melissa Tumblin, discussed with families about choosing kindness and accepting differences. Tumblin talked about Microtia (little or missing ears) and Atresia (hearing loss due to underdeveloped ear canals) and facial challenges. Tumblin explained that “the next time you see a child or an adult in public who is missing one or both ears or who has facial challenges, to just consider saying “hi” and helping make their day rather than staring or questioning. While it is always okay to have curiosity, it is also great to make these beautiful individuals also feel the same and accepted, not different…..to “choose kind.”

The funds from the anonymous donor helped buyout 200+ seats in two theaters at the Flatirons AMC Theater in Broomfield, Colorado, including providing a snack pack (popcorn, soda, and gummy treat) for each child and their families. Ear Community requested that both films offer open captioning on the screens and made sure that the children and adults who needed assistive hearing technology had it available through the theater. Ear Community was happy to raise awareness about Microtia and Atresia as the organization recently celebrated it’s second annual National Microtia Awareness Day on November 9th. Tumblin said, that “We had a wonderful time and the movie was amazing! Anyone will enjoy the film and to remember that kindness goes a long way, especially when it comes to children.” Ear Community is an anti-bullying organization and prides itself on being able to bring children and adults together, who have Microtia and Atresia, along with their families, so they can be educated on their options and so they know that they are not alone. Ear Community has been able to provide a close-knit community for Microtia and Atresia children and adults since 2011 through it’s seven online support groups and website.

Thank you again to our anonymous donor and for thinking of the families through Ear Community. Words can not express the kindness that can sometimes come from the general public. In this case, our donor helped bring children and adults together, along with school teachers, and helped educate and raise awareness. Thank you so very much! Last night was a memorable event for so many and all of the children enjoyed seeing the movie “Wonder.” This opportunity for these families not only reminded everyone of what we all have going on in life, but this was also an amazing way to spread kindness and acceptance during this time of year and to remind us that while so many children and adults who have challenges in life, they really just want to be accepted and treated how you would like to be treated. This anonymous donation to the organization was a true gift for so many. Thank you and we will always remember “Wonder” and our special night. Thank you to the families who joined us last night!

Ear Community, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is one of the many nonprofits throughput the United States that was given the chance to participate through Lionsgate Productions in a theater buyout event to view “Wonder.” We are so thankful!

Here are some amazing memories from our special event:

: Prescreening to the movie Wonder.

: Wednesday, November 15th, 2017, 6pm, 200+ seats.

: Bought out 2 theaters thanks to an anonymous donor.

: Bought out 2 theaters thanks to an anonymous donor.

: Our Microtia and Atresia and D/HH families who enjoyed watching Wonder.

: Our Microtia and Atresia and D/HH families who enjoyed watching Wonder.

: Melissa Tumblin with her daughter, Ally, at the prescreening of the movie Wonder.

: Ear Community Board Members, Melissa Tumblin (far right) and Scott Newcomb with wife, Maria, and their children.

: Audra and Illiana Molina (Ear Community members and volunteers) with Melissa Tumblin of Ear Community

: Ear Community’s Founding Family. The Tumblin Family.

: Ear Community volunteers who helped with our special night.

: 🙂

: 🙂

: 🙂

Ear Community
www.EarCommunity.org

Filed Under: Events, History

Ear Community advocates at 1st Kids First Foundation meeting at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with the NIH

November 16, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, November 14th, 2017, Ear Community was one of nearly 40 foundations and advocates from all over the country who joined together for the 1st Kids First Patient User Workshop meeting at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health. Representatives from the attending nonprofits shared their thoughts and ideas on how the research community and advocates can collaboratively join together to help meet the needs of pediatric patients diagnosed with structural birth defects or cancer find the much sought after information they search for online or publicly when diagnosed. Those who attended, contributed ideas and suggestions for the development of a new website and data portal, which will enable patients to collaborate with researchers to find cures for rare disease types, know if clinical trials are available and when, and find the latest information pertaining to a vast variety of causes.

Melissa Tumblin, Founder and Executive Director of Ear Community, was one of the many representatives who spent time with researchers in hopes of helping provide information in regards to the latest on Microtia and Atresia. This flag ship program also hopes to create a sense of community where patients and researchers can go to find helpful resources, such as the many nonprofits like Ear Community, helping diagnosed individuals and their families, along with organizations connect. In addition to the continuous efforts that Ear Community makes toward bringing awareness to the public about Microtia and Atresia, Ear Community looks forward to being one of the many reputable nonprofit organizations listed as a helpful public resource for families and researchers.

Pictured below is a group picture of representatives from various nonprofits along with geneticists and some of the medical professionals from the NIH and CHOP who are trying to make a difference along with Ear Community through the Kids First Foundation.

Ear Community enjoys collaborating with the many organizations and medical professionals that we do in hopes of making things better for the families who have loved ones who have Microtia and Atresia. We look forward to being a part of the Kids First Foundation program and we applaud the opportunity to work with the public and with medical professionals and researchers whenever given the chance to. To learn more about the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program through the NIH, please click here.

Thank you,
Melissa Tumblin
Founder and Executive Director
Ear Community
www.EarCommunity.org

Filed Under: Events, History

National Microtia Awareness Day is November 9th!

November 2, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

National Microtia Awareness Day is just 1 week away, November 9th!

We look forward to helping raise awareness with so many of you all over the world, even though our awareness day is a National Day here in the United States. Everyone is welcome to join together just like so many did last year, everywhere.

Here are some ideas for helping raise awareness on National Microtia Awareness Day, November 9th, 2017:

1. Many parents, teachers, and children plan to help raise awareness at their schools. You can briefly talk about differences (including Microtia and Atresia), talk about hearing loss and hearing devices, and just spread kindness on this day. Everyone has something going on and it makes everyone happy to feel included, or to have someone just say “Hi” to you instead of staring or being mean in one manner or another. Be sure to include your school’s principal and staff on what you would like to do on our National Microtia Awareness Day so your efforts can be embraced fully.

2. Many plan to bring in treats for the class like awareness cup cakes, cookies, etc…

3. Many will be wearing our official National Microtia Awareness Day t-shirts, helping raise awareness on November 9th about Microtia and Atresia. Thank you to those of you who ordered our t-shirts last year and to those of you who ordered them this year!

4. On Facebook, many can participate in spreading awareness through social media by simply changing your profile picture to our awareness ribbon logo or your cover to our National Day logo. (see attached below). We also have a Microtia Awareness frame that you can all use through FB. Just search for Microtia Awareness in the frame search tab and it should come up. If not, I have posted about an easy way to create the frame on your own with the already created awareness overlay so you can place it over your favorite photo and have the same frame. (see previous posts on our page). We look forward to seeing so many pictures posted of all of you in your shirts or wearing blue with our blue ribbons so we can all enjoy seeing how special our day is and the impact it has on the public (world) for so many of us who have loved ones born with Microtia and Atresia. Let’s join together and make a difference with Ear Community!

5. Many plan to read a little from maybe the Wonder book (for the movie that will be releasing on November 17th), read from one of the Microtia and Atresia books that can be found on Ear Community’s website, or you can play this clip to the class or for little kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUCWQB8Tii0&t=346s (the clip starts about 2 minutes in and only takes a few moments). You can even read from your favorite book about hearing loss or ask the teacher to read to the class and touch on accepting differences.

6. Here is a picture of a bunny born with only one ear so children realize that animals and people can be born without one or both ears. The kids can enjoy passing this picture around if they would like or just show it to them. (see attached). We have a veterinarian in our support group (here with me in Colorado near CSU in Forth Collins) who called me one day and told me that she knows what Microtia and Atresia is since she has had some animal patients affected by this, but she also let me know she had a daughter born with Microtia and Atresia and she knew exactly what her daughter had and loved finding our organization.

7. Many networks, organizations, and medical device companies will also be blogging about our National Microtia Awareness Day on social media in hopes of helping raise awareness about Microtia and Atresia, helping support our Ear Community Organization, and to help educate everyone about missing and underdeveloped ears, hearing loss, and facial challenges in hopes that everyone will learn a bit more and be kinder and just say “hi” in public.

8. There is also a large movement taking place during the month of November with the movie “Wonder” releasing on November 17th. I think many of us are excited to see “Wonder” and hope that it will touch the hearts of children and adults everywhere, helping promote kindness. Among other challenges that Auggie has in this movie, he also happens to have Microtia. Microtia is mentioned in the Wonder book and we are the proud organization to have established National Microtia Awareness Day for our children and adults to have and not feel alone. Please choose kindness. It makes everyone happier.

Thank you so much and we are so very excited!!!
Melissa Tumblin
and
our entire Board of Directors and support group admins for
Ear Community
www.EarCommunity.org

Filed Under: Events, History

How Can I Support National Microtia Awareness Day on November 9?

November 2, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

AudiologyOnline:
Interview with Melissa Tumblin

November 1, 2017

Question

What is National Microtia Awareness Day? How can audiologists support this initiative?

Answer

Melissa Tumblin: National Microtia Awareness Day is November 9th each year in the United States. It started in 2016. The purpose of National Microtia Awareness Day to help promote public awareness of microtia and atresia. As the mother of a child who has microtia, and the founder of Ear Community, my hope is that families who have new babies born with microtia will leave the hospital armed with more answers than questions, and their dreams for their children intact. If more people learn about microtia and atresia, they will be kinder and more accepting. It is also my goal for people with microtia to realize that they are not alone. Through this national day, they can find out about organizations and resources for information and support.

To support National Microtia Awareness Day, audiologists can educate themselves on this topic. Microtia and atresia are relatively rare, and audiologists may have learned in school may be outdated. Get up to speed on the causes of microtia and atresia, treatments, and the psychosocial impact on patients and families. Ear Community is a great place to start and there are many other helpful resources available. Companies who offer bone anchored solutions such as Oticon Medical, Cochlear, Medtronic and others, provide information on their websites and may also have online courses on AudiologyOnline. Audiologists should educate their staff and referral sources about microtia and atresia. Medical and health professionals can show their support to all of the individuals who are born with microtia and atresia by simply blogging about it or making a “we celebrate National Microtia and Atresia Awareness Day” post on their websites and in social media. Lack of information is still a problem at many medical facilities when it comes to helping families and providing resources for children who are born with microtia and atresia. While National Microtia Awareness Day is recognized in the United States, Ear Community’s website is translatable in over fifty different languages, so everyone around the world can access the information, resources and support that is available.

Thank you for supporting National Microtia Awareness Day on November 9!

Thank you to Dr. Carolyn Smaka, Editor-in-Chief of AudologyOnline!
For more information about AudiologyOnline, please click here.

Filed Under: Events, History

Naven now hears his best thanks to Oticon Medical and Ear Community for donating new Ponto hearing device

October 10, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

Naven Ramirez, BMA age 5 of the Philippines, receives (2) newly donated Oticon Medical Ponto 3’s on October 6th, 2017.

Meet Naven R. Osic. Navin is a five-year-old boy who was born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia. Naven lives with his mother, Donna and step-father in a small room in the Philippines. When Donna was pregnant with Naven, she made sure to follow all her doctor’s orders, and be very careful because she wanted her child to be healthy and ready for the world. She was shocked then, when Naven was born missing both of his ears! It was the first time Donna had ever seen little ears, and her heart ached for how her son was going to adjust to life.

Fast-forward five years, and Naven started going to a day care school. He struggled making friends and socializing, and complained to his mother that he couldn’t hear his teacher and couldn’t catch up on his lessons. Naven was also bullied by his classmates and even some of their parents. This was when Donna decided she had to take action. Up until then, she had been unable to afford even the appointments to find out what options were available to help Naven hear.

Donna and Naven met with an ENT at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and received some heartbreaking news. The doctor said that because of Naven’s bilateral hearing loss, his speech and hearing would continue to decline and he would struggle more and more in social and educational settings. They were referred to an audiologist where they discovered that Naven had moderate to severe conductive hearing loss and would need bilateral bone conduction devices to help him hear.

Luckily, someone was watching out for Naven! His audiologists knew about the Ear Community Organization. Donna immediately reached out to Ear Community, and applied for bone conduction devices. On October 6th, 2017, Naven was awarded and fitted with two brand new Ponto 3 bone conduction hearing devices that were donated by Oticon Medical through the Ear Community Organization. We wish to offer a very special thank you to Icee Piedad with Oticon Medical in the Philippines. We could not have made this possible without all her help navigating the medical system in a different country. Icee not only helped us get the devices to the Philippines, but she also donated her time and services to help fit and program Naven’s new Oticon Medical bone anchored hearing systems. Thank you especially to Oticon Medical for donating the two new Ponto Plus hearing devices to Naven. He would not be hearing today and so much better at home and in school if it were not for Oticon Medical.

Donna said, “Naven quickly responded to Ms. Icee when he put on his 2 brand-new Ponto 3’s. I’m so much happy for my son because your prestigious group Ear Community chose Naven to have a BAHA. I will take care his Ponto like I care (of) Naven.” The best part was when she said, “Naven now is very happy, he clearly hear(s) what we are saying. He can easily keep up (with) the lesson when he is at school.”

A very special thank you to Alan Raffauf, Vice President of Marketing for Oticon Medical US, for choosing to donate the new Oticon Medical Ponto 3 to Ear Community so that they could be donated to Naven to help him hear better in and outside of the school classroom. Thank you for everyone’s support and for helping Ear Community continue with its mission of helping individuals with Microtia and Atresia. Oticon Medical believes in helping individuals with hearing loss so that they can live a better quality of life. Oticon Medical is a well-respected international hearing device manufacturer that is a part of the “William Demant Group [which has] 100-plus years of experience in audiology and sound processing and established manufacturing and logistics infrastructure.”

“We are so happy that we could help Naven hear better around the clock so he can now keep up in school, make friends, and enjoy quality time with his family. He deserves to live the life he was meant to live and enjoy being a happy little five-year-old. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this all possible for Naven to obtain her hearing devices.” – Naven’s Family.

We are over the moon that you can hear so much better now Naven! We hope you thrive in school and hear the sounds of everyday now.
Hugs from all of us at Ear Community
www.EarCommunity.org

: Naven Ramirez, BMA age 5 of the Philippines, receives (2) newly donated Oticon Medical Ponto 3’s on October 6th, 2017.

: Naven and his monkey, Massey, from Oticoon Medical

: Naven with his mom, Donna.

Filed Under: Events, History

National Microtia Awareness Day is November 9th!

October 9, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

Ear Community ad logo for celebrating National Microtia Awareness Day.

National Microtia Awareness Day is coming up on November 9th! This is a day for children and adults (and their families) who were born with Microtia and Atresia. Many schools across the nation will be participating and helping raise awareness with their students. Parents will be visiting classrooms, speaking about Microtia (underdeveloped or missing outer ears) and Atresia (hearing loss due to underdeveloped ear canals), and hearing devices to raise awareness. Many medical professionals plan to raise awareness by briefly dedicating a slide about Microtia and Atresia and the options for Microtia and Atresia on social media. Hearing device and medical device companies also look forward to blogging on social media about Microtia and Atresia in hopes that everyone will learn a little bit about this congenital birth condition.

To help raise awareness, the Ear Community Organization has some awareness items available for November 9th:

Order deadline for the United States is October 25th, 2017.
– To order Ear Community National Awareness Day t-shirts, click here.
– To order National Microtia Awareness Day awareness bracelets (vintage Swarovski and more), click here.
– To order National Microtia Awareness Day awareness ribbons, pins, and car decals, click here.

For t-shirts, your orders can be placed through the MicrotiaTees website.
For the bracelets, decals, and wrist bands you can order through the Ear Community DONATE link (see directions on how to order via each item).We are excited to raise awareness together with everyone on November 9th!

National Microtia Awareness Day Ribbon for Ear Community Organization – November 9th, 2017.

Approximately one child in every 9,000 (in the United States) is born with Microtia (when the ear(s) do not fully develop during the 1st trimester of pregnancy). Often affecting one ear or both ears, Microtia is diagnosed at birth, but there is no understanding as to why Microtia occurs. Facial challenges, hearing loss and the longing for social acceptance are some of the daily concerns for those who are born with Microtia. Children are born into this world not knowing they are any different from anyone else. Many with Microtia share similar stories of curious stares, bullying, or awkwardness. Individual personalities, social conditioning, available treatments and bullying all impact how every child develops and copes as an adult. By removing unnecessary boundaries and replacing them with resources, tools, and support, we can eliminate bullying and clear the way for an even more successful future.

It is the intention of Microtia Awareness Day to help promote public awareness. As the mother of a child who has microtia, and the founder of Ear Community, Melissa Tumblin’s hope is that families who have new babies born with microtia will leave the hospital armed with more answers than questions, and their dreams for their children intact. “I think that if more people learn about microtia and atresia, that they will be kinder and more accepting. It is also my intention for anyone who is born without an ear(s) to realize that they are not alone. Through this national day, they can find out about organizations and resources for information and support.” Since 2010, the Ear Community Organization has brought over 8,000 people together from around the world at the organization’s events making it possible to share experiences and resources. The community is made up of not only children and adults with Microtia and their families, but teachers, advocates, and medical professionals from around the world who foster awareness and assistance for this amazing group of people. Board members for Ear Community either have the condition themselves or a family member who does, so they have close personal experience with the obstacles from a myriad of perspectives.

Celebrate with us on National Microtia Awareness Day on November 9th, 2017.

Thank you and you are not alone with Microtia and Atresia.
Ear Community
www.EarCommunity.org

Filed Under: Events, History

Cochlear announces the release of the Baha SoundArc – an exciting new non-surgical bone conduction device

September 18, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

18 September 2017

Today, Cochlear, the global leader in bone conduction hearing solutions, announced the commercial availability of the new Cochlear™ Baha^® SoundArc – a stylish, comfortable and effective device that will allow people to hear like never before.

The Baha SoundArc is a new hearing solution for people who live with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss or single-sided sensorineural deafness (SSD). It is a non-surgical behind-the-head band that works together with all of Cochlear’s Baha 5 sound processors.

“All previous non-surgical devices have used the head or ears to aid in retention. With the Baha SoundArc we needed to find a way to deliver excellent sound quality, power performance and fit all different head shapes and sizes – without compromising on comfort. This makes the SoundArc really quite unique” relates Mats Dotevall, Director of Design & Development at Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB (CBAS).

Excellent results reported from first clinical experiences

The Baha SoundArc’s user satisfaction was tested during a first experience program in a number of selected clinics in the UK from April to June 2017. The reported results were excellent, with an overall satisfaction rating of more than 85% in take home trials.

“We are very pleased with both the patients’ and the professionals’ responses to the SoundArc,” says Rom Mendel, President of Acoustics at Cochlear. “In the demo setting, the SoundArc scored an average of at least four out of five in all the important areas that really matter to our customers: comfort, sound quality, aesthetics, retention, ease-of-use and speech understanding. Even people with more severe levels of hearing loss and SSD can benefit from the technology, not just those with pure conductive hearing loss.”

More people expected to try bone conduction hearing

As a trial device, the discreet Baha SoundArc has an opportunity to make testing bone conduction more appealing. Although conventional demo devices, such as a head band and test band, work well in a clinical setting, they are not designed for use in everyday situations.

Jane Bevan, Clinical scientist in Audiology from the Countess of Chester Hospital in the UK, whose clinic was part of the first experience program, explains why she believes the SoundArc will entice more people to test bone conduction.

“The demo devices that are currently available haven’t changed much, and they do have some limitations. What impressed me about the SoundArc is its sleek, modern design and I am confident that our patients will really appreciate that. I had a teenage patient who was looking at a Baha System as a potential option, but she wasn’t keen on wearing the existing demo devices in school. But when I gave her the SoundArc she was very happy to give it a go.”

Giving children more options to hear

Since 2002 the Baha Softband has been an excellent, longer-term option for children who are too young or not ready for a bone conduction implant. It has provided tens of thousands of children the amplification they need to hear from an early age.

With the introduction of the Baha SoundArc, Cochlear is adding to its broad portfolio of hearing options for children. “For us it’s not about a one-size fits all approach, it’s about innovating and making sure our customers have options that fit both their lifestyle and their stage in life” continues Rom Mendel.

The new Cochlear Baha SoundArc is CE marked and FDA cleared. Availability will differ from country to country, beginning September 15, 2017. Please check the availability in your country with your local Cochlear office.

Facts about the Cochlear Baha SoundArc:

Available in four sizes (S, M, L , XL)
Adaptable to fit different head shapes and sizes
Unilateral and bilateral options

About bone conduction systems

Bone conduction systems are a proven medical option for adults and children with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and single-sided sensorineural deafness meeting the candidacy criteria. While a hearing aid tries to push sound through the damaged part of the ear, bone conduction systems bypass the damaged area and send sound directly to the inner ear. They are designed to help those who receive little or no benefit from hearing aids hear and communicate more effectively.

About Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of 3,000 people and invests more than AUD$120 million a year in research and development. Products include hearing systems for cochlear, bone conduction and acoustic implants. Over 450,000 people of all ages, across more than 100 countries, now hear because of Cochlear.

Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB is a division of Cochlear Ltd and the world leader in bone conduction hearing solutions. Situated in Mölnlycke, outside Gothenburg, Sweden, the head office employs approximately 250 people to develop, manufacture and support Baha^® and Vistafix^® products.

Media Contact

Nicholas Feeney
Senior Marketing Communications Manager
Cochlear BAS
P: (+46) 766 498589
Email: nfeeney@cochlear.com

Filed Under: Events, History

Happy 40th Anniversary to Cochlear….Meet the team behind Baha 5

September 12, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

September 11, 2017 by The Baha Blog administrator

Meet the Team

The Baha® 5 and Baha® 5 Power sound processors are developed, designed and shipped from Sweden worldwide, but did you know they are also manufactured and assembled here too? The concept, design, development, testing, manufacturing, packing and logistics are all done under one roof! Meet some of the great people who work together to design, test and manufacture the Baha System.

The Production Team

These are the people who make sure that all details are perfectly put in place so that the sound processors meet all requirements. It takes less than thirty minutes to produce one sound processor, and every fourth minute a new unit is packed and ready to be shipped!

The Research and Applications Team

Our team of audiologists and acoustical engineers are the ones who make sure that the Baha 5 sound processors and accessories are adapted to the specific needs of the recipients. How do they do this?

By meeting hundreds of people every year to evaluate the hearing performance and benefits of the implant systems. They also manage sponsored clinical trials of the Baha system at clinics all around the world, including the largest ever clinical investigation undertaken for bone conduction hearing implants – an ongoing project that involves seven countries across Europe!

The Design & Development Team

Our Implant Engineers and Acoustic System Engineers are a small part of the team who design, develop and test our implants and sound processors, making sure that each individual component is fine tuned and works together as an entire Baha System.

The Product Management Team

Have you ever wondered how the features of your sound processor and implant have been developed to meet your needs?

Our Product Managers have a fundamental role in ensuring the voice of the customer is at the centre of all sound processor and the implant system development. From meeting with users, audiologists, ENT surgeons and educating professionals, to establishing close collaborations with research teams all around the world, they help drive product innovation that makes a difference to the lives of the people who rely on a Baha System to hear each day.

Happy 40 years anniversary from our entire team at Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions in Sweden!

Filed Under: Events, History

Helping Joey hear better just in time for school

August 15, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

Joey Ordonez of Texas is thankful to hear better thanks to receiving his donated hearing device from Stephen Weiss of Pennsylvania. July 2017

Stephen Weiss, a CPA in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania was excited to upgrade his current hearing device to a newer model. When Stephen upgraded, he wanted to donate his current hearing device to a charity organization where his hearing device could go on to help someone else hear better. After receiving his new Oticon Medical Ponto Power Plus 3, Stephen found the Ear Community Organization to donate his gently used Ponto Plus to that he had used for less than one year. With Stephen’s donated Ponto being newer and in excellent condition, Ear Community was able to find a child who could benefit from Stephen’s donated Ponto.

Lorraine Ordonez was hopeful that she could find help obtaining a hearing device for her son, Joey, who was born with Microtia and Atresia of his left ear. Lorraine had applied through her family’s insurance provider for a hearing device for Joey, but they were denied coverage for a hearing device. Knowing that Joey was struggling with his hearing loss, Lorraine was trying to figure out how to obtain a hearing device for her son so he could hear better. As a member of the Ear Community Organization, Lorraine belongs to the organization’s Gently Used Bone Conduction Hearing Device group on Facebook and saw a post come across for a hearing device that was being donated through the organization. Lorraine is very excited that she was able to obtain this gently used hearing device for Joey. Lorraine told Joey that he would hear better soon because he was finally getting a hearing device.

Joey was fitted with his donated Ponto Plus (made by Oticon Medical) this August thanks to Stephen’s donation. Joey and Lorraine are so thankful for this gift of hearing! Thank you to Stephen Weiss for searching for a charity organization where he knew he would be given the opportunity to give back to someone else in the community so they could hear better with his hearing device. Our story is the first to let Stephen know that his donated hearing device went to a little boy named Joey. Thanks to Stephen’s donation, Joey is now able to hear better and be ready for preschool where he can hear his very best. Thank you Stephen for your donation and for helping pay it forward so a child could hear better who was unable to afford a hearing device.

Joey is pictured wearing his donated Ponto Plus from Stephen. Lorraine wishes to thank the Ear Community organization for all that it does for Microtia and Atresia babies.

: Stephen Weiss

: The gently used donated Ponto Plus from Stephen that is helping Joey hear better.

Filed Under: Events, History

Helping Kavya hear better with the help of Oticon Medical and the Ear Community Organization

August 2, 2017 By Melissa Tumblin Leave a Comment

Kavya Sharma of New Delhi, India received 2 new Oticon Medical Ponto 3 Superpower hearing devices on June 5th, 2017 through the Ear Community Organization.

Ear Community is honored to introduce everyone to our latest Oticon Medical Ponto 3 Superpower hearing device recipient, adorable Kavya Sharma! Kavya is almost two years old and lives in New Delhi, India with her father Ajay and mother Savita. Kavya was born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia, as well as Hemifacial Microsomia and a hole in her heart. She had a rough start, and spent a lot time in the hospital with feeding tubes and oxygen therapy.

Savita reached out to Ear Community in the Spring of 2017, asking if there was any way for us to help her daughter to hear. At this time, most of Kavya’s other health related issues have been resolved, but she still couldn’t hear. With bilateral Microtia and Atresia, Kavya could not hear her parents tell her that they love her, she struggled with speech development; and Savita worried about how Kavya would develop friendships and how she would be able to learn at school. She took Kavya to a specialist in Delhi where it was suggested that a bone conduction device could help Kavya to hear and speak because she was not speaking at all.

On June 5^th, 2017, Ear Community is proud to have donated two brand new Oticon Medical Ponto 3 Superpower hearing devices to Kavya so she can have full access to sound. Thanks to Dr. Niraj Kumar at the AIMS hospital in Safdarjung, Delhi, India for donating the time to fit the devices to Kavya. He has spent so much time helping Kavya and her family gain the auditory tools she needs. This precious little girl has already struggled to get to where she is, and we are thrilled to be able to help her on her journey.

Ear Community would like to thank Alan Raffauf, Vice President of Marketing for Oticon Medical US, for giving our organization the opportunity to help Kavya hear better. A very special thank you to Beverly Ostrowski of Oticon Medical for helping work with us to improve lives with better hearing. Thank you to Ear Community’s donors and to the friends and relatives to the late Curt Gorman (past President of Oticon Medical US) who have also helped make it possible for hearing device recipients, like beautiful little Kavya, receive the gift of hearing. Thank you Oticon Medical for helping donate hearing devices to charity organization’s like Ear Community so we can help children hear better! Thank you!

Congratulations, Kavya, now the world is completely open to you and you will be able to hear all of the beautiful sounds it has to offer. We are so happy that you can now hear your parent’s voices, and will be able to get the education you deserve.

: Kavya Sharma of New Delhi, India received 2 new Oticon Medical Ponto 3 Superpower hearing devices on June 5th, 2017 through the Ear Community Organization.

: Kavya and her father, Ajay, at her fitting when she received 2 Oticon Medical Ponto 3’s so she could hear better.

: Kavya Sharma of New Delhi, India wearing her newly donated Oticon Medical Ponto 3 Superpower hearing devices donated through Ear Community on June 5th, 2017.

The Ear Community Organization
www.EarCommunity.org

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