A donation of hearing aids by the Oticon Hearing Foundation is changing the lives of a group of Fort Worth students with hearing loss just in time for the start of summer vacation. The donation of Oticon hearing aids allowed a team of Fort Worth Independent School District audiologists to provide 13 in-need grade school and high school students of the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) with their own personal hearing aids. Previously, the students relied upon loaner hearing aids, available only for use in school.
FWISD Audiologist Aubrey Ploof, AuD, explained that although the school district supplies hearing aids for school-use to all students in need, some students do not own hearing aids for use outside of school hours. These students go nights, weekends, and summers without the ability to hear and effectively communicate.
"Since a large part of learning occurs at home, in addition to at school, these children need access to speech and language in both environments," said Ploof. "The hearing aids donated by the Oticon Hearing Foundation allow us to provide students with their very own state-of-the-art hearing aids at no cost to the families. This will encourage that each student's maximum potential is reached."
Oticon Audiologist Melinda Saban, AuD, joined with the FWISD audiologists to fit the students with the new hearing aids. Oticon Hearing Foundation Ambassador Braden Baker was also on site for the fittings. Twelve-year-old Braden first alerted the Oticon Hearing Foundation to the students’ need and worked with Mariann Cadieu, who manages the Foundation’s donation program, to secure the partnership with the FWISD audiology team.
For more information on the Oticon Hearing Foundation visit http://oticonhearingfoundation.org.
About the Oticon Hearing Foundation
Established in 2010 and funded by donations from Oticon, Inc., the Oticon Hearing Foundation seeks to unite hearing care professionals in a community of caring to increase access to sustainable hearing care for impoverished people and communities around the world. The Foundation partners with volunteer hearing care professionals and non-profit organizations to provide sustainable hearing care and hearing aids to in-need adults and children who would not otherwise be reached. The Foundation accepts donations of gently used Oticon hearing aids. The donated hearing aids are reconditioned and provided to hearing care professionals who volunteer their time and expertise for humanitarian missions.
