May is Better Hearing and Speech Month!
What better way to embrace this month of awareness than to help give back by helping someone in need with the gift of hearing!

Meet Eddie! Eddie lives in Washington state and was born with Grade IV microtia and aural atresia. Early on during childhood, Eddie had four surgeries to have his right ear reconstructed. After completing his fourth surgery, Eddie was informed of one more surgical option that could help restore his hearing in his right ear. However, without the same support systems during his last surgery, he was traumatized by the process and decided not to proceed with the final surgery that would allow him to hear.

As a musician, singer, songwriter – Eddie realized he was struggling with his hearing over the years. He recently decided to visit with an audiologist who shared about a hearing restoration solution that would help him hear better! Eddie was educated and informed about a bone anchored hearing system as an option that could help improve his hearing. After discovering this hearing device technology, he also discovered how expensive this hearing device is and that his insurance provider was not going to cover a bone anchored hearing system for him. Once again, Eddie was left feeling discouraged about finding a way to hear better. Thankfully, Eddie was told about the Ear Community Organization!

Eddie reached out to the Ear Community Organization asking for help obtaining a bone anchored hearing device. After discussing which option would be best for him, his audiologist suggested the Ponto 5 Mini by Oticon Medical. After trying on a bone anchored hearing device in his audiologist’s office, he realized how much he could hear! He also realized how much hearing he was missing out on! He reached out to the Ear Community Organization for help to obtain a Ponto 5 Mini. Ear Community proudly responded letting Eddie know that the organization would help him obtain a newly donated Ponto 5 Mini from Oticon Medical! Eddie had found a way that would allow him to hear fully for the first time in his life! All Eddie’s life, he’s lived only hearing out of his left ear. Now, he has the opportunity to begin a new journey toward getting a hearing device that will change that forever. Eddie is excited to finally hear as close to a typical person as he can! Eddie is also a recipient of Ear Community’s hearing fund called Pax’s Ear Fund where he was able to obtain support toward the fitting and programming fee for his new Ponto 5 Mini!

A special thank you to Oticon Medical for helping Eddie hear his best with a newly donated Ponto 5 Mini and thank you to Eddie’s audiologist, Dr. Anne Harvey, for educating and informing Eddie about how a bone anchored hearing system could improve his quality of life! A special thank you to the Gross Family Foundation for making Pax’s Ear Fund possible so together with Ear Community and audiologists, our organization can continue giving the gift of hearing to members within the microtia and atresia community! Eddie has chosen to be implanted with his Ponto 5 Mini and will be fitted this June! Most of all, a very special thank you to Eddie’s fiance, Elena, for being his rock, his support system and for encouraging him to take the next step to hearing better!

Congratulations on hearing your best, Eddie! Our organization and so many others are so happy that you can now focus on doing what you love in your career as a musician, singer, songwriter! #betterhearingandspeech  #betterhearingandspeechmonth2023
Thank you,
Melissa Tumblin
Executive Director
EarCommunity.org