Imogene Gilbert, bilateral atresia, 4 year old recipient of (2) Oticon Medical Ponto 5 Minis, November of 2023, Minnesota.
November 7, 2023
Ear Community is proud to help another child hear & obtain two bone anchored hearing devices during our week of awareness on November 7th!
Meet Imogene!
Imogene is a sweet 4 year old little girl from Minnesota! Now that Imogene is at an age where she can communicate better, she began turning the TV up to max volume & saying she can’t hear! Her mom, Amanda, became concerned & made an appointment with her pediatrician. After waiting for months to meet with an audiologist, Imogene was able to try on a bone anchored hearing aid. Her face lit up & she could hear everyone! Finally, during an appointment w/Imogene’s ENT, they discovered she wasn’t hearing because she was missing both ear canals according to her CT! Imagine how shocking this was to Imogene’s parents, hearing this for the first time & realizing their sweet daughter hasn’t been hearing for the first four years of her life as they imagined she was!
Once receiving two loaner bone anchored hearing devices from their audiologist, Imogene & her family were amazed how well she could hear! Imogene repeated every word the audiologist said & even exclaimed, “I can hear myself talking”! When their audiologist reached out to insurance for two Oticon Medical Pontos, again – to their surprise, their insurance (BCBS) denied Imogene both hearing devices! Amanda & her husband were shocked to discover their insurance plan excluded coverage for bone conductive hearing devices! Their insurer would pay for in-the-ear hearing aids & cochlear implants, but not a bone anchored hearing device! Imogene’s family was left floored! Thinking – “How can they possibly deny a four year old the ability to hear because her anatomy that causes hearing loss requires a different kind of hearing aid?”
Thankfully, Amanda & Imogene & their family found the Ear Community Organization which happily donated two NEW Ponto 5 Mini bone anchored hearing devices thanks to Oticon Medical! Imogene’s audiologist, Dr. Cynthia Hogan of the Mayo Clinic, fitted Imogene’s two new Pontos too!
Imogene continues to shine & thrive! Thank you to Oticon Medical for giving the gift of hearing through Ear Community!
Ally’s Act, H.R. 2439/S. 1135 must pass! We are asking the community and all advocates to please champion Ally’s Act!
Thank you.
Melissa Tumblin
Founder – Executive Director
Ear Community
www.EarCommunity.org
About Melissa Tumblin
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