Hearing Loss — Personal… Painful… Pertinent
January 2, 2009
Kathlyn Maguire - Founder, Empowerment Through Hearing
I suppose I should make some bow to the New Year; but let’s just say that I did and get right into the reason I’m sitting at this computer on a nationally-proclaimed holiday, while all my neighbors are out enjoying the fruits of a sunny 74-degree Thursday:
.
35 million Americans suffer from hearing loss — that includes 1 in 8 students — so it’s hard to believe this condition remains so personalized. I can only tell you from my own experience through decades of hearing loss that I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I thought it was a ‘disability’ reserved for the old folks and I did everything I could to stay in denial. I really didn’t think I had a hearing loss per se because I could hear the sound of a voice, music or background noise, but it became increasingly difficult to understand all the words. I was famous for singing the wrong lyrics to popular rock in the 60’s. I was a pretty good lip reader and thought I could get the general gist of most conversations. But too often my comments were totally unrelated to the subject at hand — this would send friends into a paroxysm of giggles and me into increased isolation. I lived in New York City, where the walk and talk are fast-paced. So it was double-tough to keep up with what everyone was saying.
Entry Filed under: About Us, Musings and Thoughts. Tags: denial, hearing loss.
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1.
Margaret Richebourg | January 10, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Your story from the heart compels me to know more about what a parent can do with a child whose I-Tunes play at decibels so loud that even I can hear the lyrics although she’s listening through earplugs.
Thanks for all you are doing to help people with hearing loss. I am convinced all of our children will be plagued with this problem in the not too distant future.
With respect, Margaret
2.
hearingconnection | January 10, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Your comment underscores the importance of educating young people and people of all ages about the damage noise does to hearing. Through experience, all of us understand the importance of SPF against sun damage. Experiencing high decibel noise has brought about the staggeriing statistic that 1 in 8 students has some form of hearing loss. Awareness is key, so as parents, we want to be more pro-active in warning our children. I hope you and others will help spread the critical message, ‘noise causes hearing loss,’ and save our youth from having to learn from experience. Kathlyn
3.
Toni Lee | January 11, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Brava Kathlyn! for lifting the curtain on another implementation to protect the next generation, AND to use the ones today who have hearing losses as teachers and mentors. We CAN make pro-active choices for wellness!!! Well done! God’s best! Toni Lee
4.
hearingconnection | January 11, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Yes, this is all about pro-active choices for wellness. We don’t think twice about getting our eyes checked…annual medical check-ups. More than 35 million Americans of all ages have a significant hearing loss. This subject attracts millions of posts on the iinternet but few feature stories in our national newspapers. So it’s incumbent on all of us to discuss this common condition w/family and friends and add hearing health to the list of critical issues involved in our personal wellness. Kathlyn
5.
Suzanne DeBow | January 11, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Kudos, Kathlyn, for continuing to make hearing loss awareness an important topic for discussion on many levels. You’ve placed a great deal of emphasis on education and focused sharply on bringing the hearing loss awareness messages to the public –especially to children — in a clear and entertaining way.
Consider reaching out to Girls and Boys Clubs of America to get their support in helping to spread the message…..
Good luck for continued success in your important mission!
Suzanne
6.
hearingconnection | January 14, 2009 at 11:56 am
Your suggestion to reach out to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America is an excellent one to help spread the importance of hearing loss awareness among our youth. In addition, we are working with Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches, part of JA Worldwide, whose mission is ‘to educate and inspire young people to value the American free enterprise…and to be workforce ready. (It is important to note that billions of dollars are lost annually in the U.S. due to untreated hearing loss). Their programs are taught to over 7.5 million students by classroom volunteers from the business community in both the U.S. and 111 countries worldwide. They recognize the importance of hearing health and have incorporated hearing loss awareness into their Wellness Program.