Luis receives the gift of hearing thanks to Cochlear Americas and the Ear Community Organization!

Meet Luis! Luis was born with bilateral microtia and atresia and lives in North Carolina. He’s your typical fun loving five year old who loves school! Luis’ mom, Obdulia, has made sure he’s had the help he needs at school through IEP services and help from his school therapists who work with him everyday to develop his language skills. However, Luis begun struggling with his hearing lately in the classroom and at home due to his bilateral hearing loss.

Obdulia realized Luis seemed to be missing out on a lot more than usual during conversations. She decided to get his hearing tested last year. When meeting with their audiologist, Dr. Ashleigh Starnes of Atrium Health, Obdulia was educated about a hearing device available called a bone anchored hearing system or a BAHS that could help Luis hear better! Obdulia and Luis were excited about obtaining a BAHS and began the process for a bone anchored hearing device. Unfortunately, Luis’ mom also discovered the challenge of trying to obtain this hearing device for Luis after realizing they could not afford this hearing device, let alone two hearing devices so he could have one for each ear to help him hear his best.

While waiting to hear back from Medicaid to see if a BAHS could qualify for coverage, Luis’ family sadly became one of the many families who were victims of Hurricane Helene in the Western Area of North Carolina. Still recovering and working hard to pick up the pieces from this disaster, the family did hear back from Medicaid, but unfortunately Luis was denied coverage and the access to obtain a bone anchored hearing device.

Finally, Luis and his family found some hope for him to hear better trying to find other resources! Obdulia took a chance and was directed to NC Beginnings, a helpful resource in their area where they were connected with Gheydis Paredes, a Parent Educator Bilingual Spanish interpreter. Gheydis began helping Obdulia look for other resources that could maybe help Luis hear by obtaining a hearing device. Together, Gheydis and Dr. Starnes found the Ear Community Organization and applied for Luis to obtain a hearing device!

On May 21st, Luis received the gift of hearing with two Baha 6 Max bone conduction hearing devices! The smile on his face shows how happy he is wearing his bone anchored hearing devices! If it were not for Gheydis Paredes understanding the need for Luis to be able to hear and realizing how much his family was struggling, Luis wouldn’t be able to hear today! Thank you for reaching out to our Ear Community Organization to help Luis! A special thank you to Dr. Starnes for donating her time and services to fit and program both of Luis’ new Baha 6 Max hearing devices from Cochlear Americas! Gheydis says, “She is seeing the progress Luis has made already with his Baha devices, which is incredible! I can only imagine the possibilities he will have now!” Dr. Starnes is grateful for being able to help give the gift of hearing to Luis and that she is “So happy to see Luis benefit from binaural hearing thanks to both Baha devices!”

A special thank you to Keesha Pfeiffer, Manager of Health Policy Strategy and Advocacy at Cochlear Americas, for making sure Luis received his two Baha 6 Max bone conduction hearing devices and for helping us with processing this gift of hearing! This request to help Luis means a lot to Keesha as her son also has microtia and atresia and she has helped our Ear Community Organization for many years with these requests to help children and adults #Hear Now and Always! Thank you for helping us with this opportunity for Luis! “Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, and has provided more than 750,000 implantable devices – more than any other company – helping people of all ages to hear and connect with life’s opportunities.” Since 2011, Cochlear Americas is a proud Platinum Sponsor to the Ear Community Organization, helping the microtia and atresia community. Thank you Cochlear Americas for being a leading company behind the hearing device technology that helps children like Luis benefit when it comes to restoring hearing loss! Children and adults with microtia and atresia can only benefit from the use of a bone conduction hearing device because of specific related conductive hearing loss.

It is always wonderful when so many organizations can come together to help someone in need! This is what community is all about! The Ear Community Organization is so happy to have helped Luis receive the gift of hearing! Our organization is grateful for our Sponsors like Cochlear Americas and our donors for helping make struggles like this turn into a happy solution! We are looking forward to hearing how Luis continues to thrive in school and outside of the classroom with his new Bahas! Thank you again to Dr. Ashleigh Starnes at Atrium Health, Gheydis Paredes at NC Beginnings, Kesha Pfeiffer at Cochlear Americas and the Ear Community Organization! Most of all, thank you to Luis’ mom, Obdulia and family, for never giving up on Luis and for helping him find the hearing he needs!
Melissa Tumblin
Founder – Executive Director
Ear Community