Helping Hudson hear better with an Oticon Medical hearing device

Hudson Yost from China, born with Microtia and Atresia of his left ear and Hemifacial Microsomia proudly wearing his new Oticon Medical Ponto Plus w/streamer hearing device.

Meet little Hudson Yost, born with Microtia and Atresia of his left ear and Hemifacial Microsomia. Hudson is 4.5 years old and lives in China with his adoptive parents, Dave and Tammi Yost. Hudson is full of energy and is quick to be friends with everyone. He is always armed with a hug and a smile. Hudson’s mother, Tammi, explains that Hudson has never been disheartened that he only has one ear. In fact, Hudson loves going to the doctor to let the doctor look at his ear, his “little” ear, as he calls it.

When Dave and Tammi first saw Hudson, it was love at first sight! Hudson was adopted about 15 months ago. Hudson is the newest addition to their family of six (with three children having special needs, including Hudson). Ever since then, the family has been focusing on getting to know Hudson better and learning Chinese better as well. Hudson’s father, Dave, is a teacher at the International Christian School in Chengdu and the family has lived there for seven years now.

Hudson’s parents have done everything they possibly can to make sure they stay on top of Hudson’s hearing loss, taking him to doctors both in China and the United States. Hudson’s latest hearing tests show that he has a profound hearing loss in his left ear in addition to a mild hearing loss in his right (non Microtic/Atretic ear), proving that he was in need of a hearing device. Tammi and Dave began noticing that Hudson was not as vocal for his age in his language (Chinese) and were concerned about his hearing and speech as he gets older. Even though the family has insurance through Cigna, Cigna only offers coverage for hearing tests and exams, but does not provide coverage for a BAHA (bone anchored hearing device). With a family of six, Tammi needed help finding a way to provide a BAHA for Hudson so he could hear better. Luckily, Tammi learned about the Ear Community Organization on a Hemifacial Microsomia support group page on Facebook and applied for Hudson to obtain a hearing device.

On March 16th, 2015, Hudson Yost was fitted with a new Oticon Medical Ponto Plus bone conduction processor w/streaming device. Hudson is overjoyed with his Ponto Plus processor and he can’t stop looking all around for all of the new sounds he is now hearing. Tammi and Dave admit that when they first adopted Hudson…they knew he was a happy child, smiling practically every minute of the day, but after being aided with a hearing device he is even happier! Tammi says, “Every morning when Hudson gets dressed he says “I want my ear!”

Many efforts were made to help little Hudson hear better with his new Ponto Plus hearing device from Oticon Medical. Ear Community would like to thank Martin Moller of Oticon for traveling across China to the city where Hudson lives, helping program and fit him with his new hearing device. We would also like to thank Professor Zheng of West China Hospital (Hauxi) for helping Hudson with his fitting and collaborating with Martin Moller and learning more about the Oticon Medical Ponto Plus w/streamer hearing device. A very special thank you to Alan Raffauf, Vice President of Oticon Medical, for choosing Ear Community as a charitable organization to donate Hudson’s hearing device to so that together, we could help Husdon hear better and give back to the Microtia and Atresia community. Thank you for your 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 always happy to be able to help children and adults who have Microtia and Atresia obtain new hearing devices around the world when it is possible,” says Melissa Tumblin, Founder of Ear Community. “To be able to find the help we need and to be given the opportunity to collaborate with medical professionals internationally with help through extended divisions of Oticon Medical’s organization so that we may help bring a processor to a child afar helping them hear better is an amazing gift in itself.” says Melissa. Thank you to everyone who helped make this opportunity possible for little Hudson and his family.

Here are some memories from Hudson’s exciting day:

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