Archives for September 15, 2013

Laura Lopez, BMA, Salem, Oregon

Meet sweet Laura Lopez. Laura is from Salem, Oregon (United States) and is a Spanish speaking 13 year old who was born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia. Laura enjoys spending time with her family and is excited about becoming a teenager. Laura is a happy girl with a beautiful smile who lives for everyday because she realizes how precious life is. Laura and her brother Francisco, had a third sibling who was also born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia, but their sister only lived for two months. As a reminder of the loss of their other daughter, Laura’s parents, Ruben and Cellina, realize how important it is for their Laura to be able to live life to its fullest, now. Laura began experiencing problems with her hearing, preventing her from learning in school. At Laura’s last audiology appointment, it was discovered that her hearing was deteriorating and her Cochlear Divino processors were no longer working and had been experiencing intermittent problems over the past couple of years. However, being able to purchase new processors for Laura was unlikely as Laura’s parents struggle every month to pay the rent, put food on the table, and continue to pay the hospital bills from the loss of their daughter. They also do not have insurance coverage and do not receive any help from the government.

 Dr. Joann Clinton at Willamette Education Service District is Laura’s audiologist and she wanted to help Laura hear better so she could be given the chance to continue learning in school just as every child should be given. Dr. Clinton found out about Ear Community and quickly notified Laura’s parents, Ruben and Cellina Lopez. Laura’s parents applied to the Ear Community Foundation in hopes of obtaining new hearing devices for their Laura. “Ear Community is proud to be given the opportunity to donate its first set of new Cochlear BP110 Power processors to Laura, so she can hear now and always, getting the most out of life.“ says the Founder and Executive Director of Ear Community, Melissa Tumblin. This August, Laura was fitted with her new power Bahas and is relieved to hear again. Dr. Clinton said Laura’s family “invited their neighbors, herself, and Laura’s teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Gretchen, to have dinner at their home celebrating Laura’s hearing. “They even did a little demonstration of how Laura’s new Bahas sounded. Everyone had a good time and there were even a few tears of happiness throughout the night. It was such a happy day for Laura and her family.” said Dr. Clinton. “These are the moments that remind us of why it is so important to have charities for the communities and individuals who need them.” says Melissa Tumblin. Bobbi Scheinin, Senior Product Manager for Cochlear American’s Baha division, wanted to make sure that Laura received her new Bahas in time for school to start and so together, we did.

Thank you to everyone for helping make this all possible for Laura. Dr. Clinton, Bobbi Scheinin of Cochlear Americas, and Ear Community were happy to collaborate and help a young lady with Microtia and Atresia hear life the way it was intended. A special thank you to Cochlear Americas for donating the two new processors because Laura would not be hearing today if it were not for wonderful products manufactured by companies, such as Cochlear Americas, who respectively donate quality hearing devices to charity organizations, like Ear Community. “Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. It has a dedicated global team of more than 2,500 people who deliver the gift of sound to those with hearing loss in over 100 countries. Its vision is to connect people, young and old, to a world of sound by offering life enhancing hearing solutions. In 2013, Cochlear celebrates 100,000 Baha System users – all with unique stories of how being able to hear again has impacted their lives. The Cochlear promise of “Hear Now. And Always” embodies the company’s commitment to providing its recipients with the best possible hearing performance today and for the rest of their lives.”

A special thank you to Bobbi Scheinin at Cochlear for collaborating with Ear Community so it can donate hearing devices that help children and adults who are born with Microtia and Atresia. Bobbi and the Cochlear team have been a huge supporter for Ear Community for the past 3.5 years and Laura is Ear Community’s first Cochlear Baha recipient. Thank you from all of us at Ear Community for your compassion and for supporting the Microtia and Atresia Community. Below are some additional pictures of Laura’s special day with her new Cochlear BP110 Power processors!

Thank you,
Melissa Tumblin
Founder and Executive Director of Ear Community
and Ear Community’s Board of Directors

Fabrizio and Fabiano Vega Silvestre, BMA twins, Lima, Peru.

Meet Fabrizio and Fabiano Vega Silvestre from Lima, Peru. These two, adorable little one year old twins, are busy and on the go and are excited for their vocabulary to come in so they can start communicating. However, both Fabrizio and Fabiano were born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia. Fabiano was also born with a cleft palate. Living in Peru is amazing for both Fabrizio and Fabiano, but their family has limited resources and could not afford to purchase hearing devices for the twins once discovering that insurance would not provide them. Diana Silvestre Guierrez is Fabrizio and Fabiano’s mother. Diana says that her boys have severe hearing loss and the twins “need hearing devices urgently…as they currently are banging their heads with their hands and the doctor says [it is because] they need to communicate, [but are unable to due so] due to the deep silence in their lives.”

Even though Fabrizio and Fabiano’s family struggled with finding the funding to purchase BAHAs (also known as Osseo Integrated Devices) for their sons in Peru, their Aunt, Katty Palomino, who lives in Patterson, New York wondered if there was some way she could help the twins here in the United States. Katty Palomino went on line and researched foundations that help children born with Microtia and Atresia and found Ear Community. Katty reached out to Ear Community and applied for help for her nephews.

“Ear Community is honored to have helped Katty find a way to help her nephews hear better by awarding both boys with new Oticon Medical Ponto Pro bone conduction processors, a total of four hearing devices,” says Melissa Tumblin, Ear Community’s Founder and Executive Director. Alan Raffauf, Vice President of Marketing for Oticon Medical, saw the urgency needed to help these twins hear and quickly requested that the four Ponto Pro processors be shipped to Katty in New York so she could send them on to Diana for her twins. An organization in Peru, called CPAL, heard about the help that Katty and Diana had found for Fabrizio and Fabiano through Ear Community and agreed to also donate their time and services to program and fit the processors for the twins.  Katty stated, ” Thank you very much for changing Fabrizio and Fabiano’s lives.  This is a dream come true.  Thank you very much and God Bless you always.”

While the Ear Community organization is proud to have donated Fabrizio and Fabiano’s new Oticon Medical Ponto Pro sound processors and soft band head bands, none of this would have been possible without Oticon Medical donating these amazing hearing devices to Ear Community to begin with. 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.”

A very special thank you to Alan Raffauf of Oticon Medical for donating hearing devices to the Ear Community Organization. Ear Community would also like to thank CPAL for working together with Ear Community and helping Fabiano and Fabrizio hear better and be able to experience all of the beautiful sounds in life. Thank you Katty for the passion in your heart that lead you to finding a way to help your adorable little nephews abroad in Peru to hear better.  Fabrizio and Fabiano would not be hearing today if it were not for the efforts of everyone coming together who were involved.  All of this would not have been possible if not for the community coming together, both in the US and in Peru, finding a way to get these hearing devices to Fabrizio and Fabiano.

Thank you,
Melissa Tumblin
Founder and Executive Director of Ear Community

Monique Hernandez, LMA, Peoria, Arizona, Ear Community College Scholarship Recipient

Meet Monique Hernandez. Monique is an undergraduate student in her last semester studying Psychology at Arizona State University. Monique was born with Microtia and Atresia of her left ear. Monique has not had reconstructive surgery and is unaided.  Last year, Monique wasn’t sure if she would be able to complete her undergraduate degree because of not having the financial assistance to continue going to college. Monique applied to Ear Community and was named one of Ear Community’s college scholarship recipients and was awarded a scholarship that could help her complete her degree. Monique was also able to find additional funding for college through another helpful resource as well.

Monique plans to earn her Masters degree in Marriage and Family counseling. Monique would also like to work with Child Protective Services where she would be able to help with children and family interactions as a psychology counselor. Monique’s ultimate dream is to “help families with emotional and spiritual healing within her own business.” “Ear Community recognizes the importance of achieving a higher education and believes in supporting teens and young adults who wish to carry out their dreams by earning their college degree.” states Melissa Tumblin, Founder and Executive Director of Ear Community. Whenever funds are available, Ear Community is always proud to help individuals who have Microtia and Atresia with their education.” says Melissa Tumblin.

Monique enjoys challenging herself and believes in living the dream. One of her favorite quotes is the following from Bernard Edmonds, “To dream anything that you want to dream. That’s the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” Ear Community is proud to have been able to help Monique by awarding her a college scholarship for $750.00 (USD). Monique was awarded her Ear Community scholarship just in time for her last semester of college this fall. All of us at Ear Community wish you the best of luck with your education and your dream Monique.

 Thank you,
Melissa Tumblin, Founder of Ear Community
Ear Community Board of Directors