So the World May Hear Magazine-Issue No. 1, 2017 by Starkey Hearing Foundation

hear so the world may

I S S U E NO. 1 , 2 0 17

Starkey Hearing Foundation

Inaugural Starkey Hearing Institute Graduation MEXICO • CANADA • ST. KITTS AND NEVIS • DOMINICA • COLOMBIA • PERU • INDONESIA TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO • GUATEMALA • RWANDA • TANZANIA • KENYA • ZAMBIA

More Missions Guatemala Phases 1 & 2

Mexico

Phases 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3

Canada Phase 2

During the last three months of 2016, our teams were working around the world to give the gift of hearing to those in need. This map illustrates some of the global impact and expansion of our four-phase hearing healthcare model during the fourth quarter of 2016.

St. Kitts

Training & Phases 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3

Colombia Phase 2

Peru

Phase 2

More Hearing Dominica

Portugal Phase 3

Phases 1 & 2

Trinidad and Tobago

Zambia

Malawi

Training & Phases 1-3

Training & Phases 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3

Phase 2

Rwanda

Training

More Impact Ethiopia Phase 3

Cambodia Phase 1

Philippines Phase 2

Marshall Islands Phase 2

Tanzania Phases 1 & 2

Indonesia Phase 2

Kenya

Phases 1 & 2

Inside

We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts: facebook.com/ starkeycares 6700 Washington Avenue South Eden Prairie, MN 55344 www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org

REEL A Peek at Stunning Documentary Films of Hearing Missions and More

ENGAGE News and Posts from Friends Worldwide

FIELD NOTES Expanding Hearing Help in the Caribbean

NOTEWORTHY Reversing a Trend

FIRSTHAND Heather Jensen, Au.D.

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes Starkey Hearing Foundation as a Section 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

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2 8 Around

the World

MEXICO Delta Zeta Members Live Their Cause in Mexico

CANADA Serving Canadian Seniors

COLOMBIA The Art of Making a Connection

PERU Many Patients, Many Thanks

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MARSHALL ISLANDS Another First

INDONESIA Nearly 8,000 Patients Receive Care

AFRICA Momentum in East Africa

MEXICO Christmas Hearing Mission

14 Starkey

Hearing Institute's First Graduating Class

70 Listening

Ears Schools Open in India

72 Helping

Haiti Through Hurricane Matthew

74 Coalition

for Global Hearing Healthcare

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Short Documentary Films Await You on YouTube: Watch and Tell Us What You Think.

Reel Stories the world needs to hear

Dalai Lama visits the Foundation Starkey Hearing Foundation was privileged to have His Holiness Dalai Lama share his support and blessing with us in India. We produced a video that encapsulates the beauty of hope, hearing, and humanity.

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“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.” — Dalai Lama

John Calipari joins the hearing mission team in Kentucky A huge thunderstorm hit when our hearing mission started, but our team didn’t miss a beat. Watch how great friends, including University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Calipari and Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl Anthony Towns, helped our team work through the storm, giving the gift of hearing in Lexington.

“The connections we’ve made with Starkey Hearing Foundation over the years has been special to me.” — University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Calipari

So The World May Hear Awards Gala 2016 Highlights The 2016 So The World May Hear Awards Gala reflected the international, national, and local advancements made possible by the generosity of gala guests and partners who raised a record-breaking amount for Starkey Hearing Foundation in 2016. Take a look at some of the top highlights.

“I do a lot of work in a lot of African countries … this is something that is immediate, simple, scalable, and there are large numbers of people who are benefitting from it.” — Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Tony Blair on the Foundation’s work in Africa

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Social Media Posts from Around the World

Engage

Social media buzzes about Starkey Hearing Foundation. Follow the conversation @starkeycares

Ben Affleck @BenAffleck â&#x2C6;&#x2122; Sep 9 Thanks @starkeycares for supporting @EasternCongo. Proud to partner & give the gift of hearing in Congo. Watch: Ben Affleck and the Eastern Congo Initiative team with Starkey...

Watch as Ben Affleck and the Eastern Congo Initiative team up with Starkey Hearing Foundation to give the gift of hearing and change lives in the Congo.

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Tony Hawk @tonyhawk â&#x2C6;&#x2122; Sep 1 I was a human rollercoaster that day; it was exhausting yet utterly rewarding. Thank you @starkeycares! Starkey Foundation @starkeycares

#TBT to @tonyhawk giving a skateboard ride to a patient in South Africa! The sheer delight from this kid is amazing!

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Jordin Sparks Love you guys!

@JordinSparks ∙ Sep 18

Starkey Foundation @starkeycares

Awesome seeing #StarkeyCares friend @JordinSparks lead the national anthem at U.S. Bank Stadium! Let's go Vikes!

Delta Zeta Sorority @DeltaZetaNatl ∙ Oct 14 Signs of love are every where! Our women shared them in Toluca, Mexico with @starkeycares

John Calipari @UKCoachCalipari ∙ Aug 28 Saw patients receiving the gift of hearing today with @starkeycares! Incredible watching this life-changing work!

Matt Blair @MattBlair59 ∙ Sep 20 @starkeycares I'm honored to be a helping part of the most giving organization! #sotheworldmayhear Starkey Foundation @starkeycares

Happy birthday shout out to our great friend @MattBlair59! Thank you so much for the longtime support!

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Sentebale @Sentebale ∙ Sep 13 In August, @starkeycares and Sentebale fitted hearing aids for 250 children, young people and adults. #empowerment

Rayovac @Rayovac_Hearing ∙ Nov 16 Hearing devices empower all to achieve their potential. #GiveHearing and help children in need. rov4.me/rxGLUu @starkeycares

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FIELD NOTES: New Hearing Healthcare

Expanding Hearing Help in the Caribbean B

UILDING STRONG LOCAL TEAMS IS AN ESSENTIAL FIRST STEP in Starkey Hearing Foundation’s strategy to bring hearing healthcare to more people across the globe. In November, the team embarked on its first-ever training mission in Phases 1, 2, and 3 in Trinidad and Tobago to equip partners and community-based health professionals from the Caribbean with the tools they need to expand access to people in need. Starkey Hearing Foundation partnered with the Diagnostic Research Educational and Therapeutic Centre for the Hearing Impaired (DRETCHI), a nonprofit organization that supports the identification, diagnosis, and management of patients with hearing loss.

Local audiologists from the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago learned Starkey Hearing Foundation’s WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare Model, which trains individuals in their respective countries to provide follow-up services for patients. Currently, Starkey Hearing Foundation has 51 sustainable WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare programs, with 94.4 percent of the workers living in the communities they work in, which is unprecedented in global hearing healthcare today. Since formalizing the phased approach, the Foundation has trained 1,025 people (representing 47 counties) on the WFA® fitting method.

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The Trinidad hearing health effort began with “Training the Trainers.” Derek Johnson and Julia Lis, International Development Directors for the Caribbean, as well as Chalese Buttars, Director of International Programs, trained five hearing healthcare professionals from the Caribbean on the WFA® fitting method. The trainees then helped teach the process to 20 local volunteers from the Caribbean. The hearing mission culminated with the fitting and follow-up AfterCare for Trinidadian patients. “We are currently putting great effort into building strong teams in these countries so that they can continue the work,” Buttars said. “By providing training and education, we are empowering these people.”

Audiologists Voice Need for WFA® Fitting Method in Caribbean In many Caribbean nations, hearing healthcare services are available for the youngest patients, but services often overlook the adult population due to a lack of resources. Dr. Wincess Gentius, an audiologist for the Virgin Islands Department of Health, said the WFA® fitting method is a positive move in the right direction. Gentius, who is one of two audiologists in the Virgin Islands and the only one in the public sector, estimated that 10 percent of the country’s 110,000 people experience hearing loss.

“The cost of hearing help is extremely expensive,” Gentius said. “This will meet some of the basic needs of those who have no other means. Starkey [Hearing] Foundation coming in would really make a world of difference to our population.” Financial restraints are not the only limiting factor in providing hearing healthcare in the Caribbean. There’s a lack of human capital, too. Dr. Georgia Beavers is one of two audiologists in Jamaica, where there are 2.8 million people. “Part of our problem is that we don’t have the resources,” Beavers said. “This will help us train reliable and knowledgeable volunteers so that we can be confident that things are getting done the way they’re supposed to be getting done.” (Continued on next page)

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Jude Lubin, a special education teacher and technical audiologist from St. Lucia, said the training mission was an opportunity to learn more about a program that has the capacity to impact the lives of the most vulnerable citizens – young children and the elderly. He said the cost of hearing aids is prohibitive to many citizens, or they do not have access to the hearing healthcare they need. The WFA® fitting method is a simplified way of screening and treating a large number of people in a short period of time, he said. The program will impact the quality of life for many people who would otherwise be cut off from the people and world around them.

Tamika Tyson, 20, Trinidad & Tobago

“I have seen students who were lagging behind, not participating in the classroom, depressed, because they could not hear,” said Lubrin, who was participating in his third training mission. “When they are fit with hearing aids, they pass with flying colors. Hearing aids also make a difference for elderly people who don’t have family, they’re living in a home, or their family doesn’t have the means to care for them. This would be a gift to them. It would give them a new lease on life. That’s my motivation for being here.” As a result of the training, Buttars said the expectation is for the Caribbean team to work alongside international development directors to hold Phase 1 and 2 missions, and carry out Phase 3 Aftercare.

TAMIKA TYSON’S SMILE TYPIFIES THE IMPORTANCE of the Starkey Hearing Foundation Phase 3 AfterCare mission. In November, the team in Trinidad and Tobago fit Tamika, 20, with her first pair of hearing aids since she lost her hearing in an accident as a toddler. When she was 2, Tamika fell and hit the left side of her head. She spent 21 days in hospital; three in the intensive care unit and eight days in a coma. Tamika left the fitting mission with the strongest behindthe-ear hearing aids available. But her mother noticed that Tamika was not responding to sounds the following morning and immediately took her to the AfterCare clinic. Starkey Hearing Technologies audiologist Lisa Randall fit Tamika with a body aid, a more powerful hearing aid that is typically reserved for the most severe hearing loss. After a few volume adjustments, Tamika’s eyes sparkled and the most beautiful smile stretched across her face. She emulated ba-ba-ba sounds and said the word “boy” out loud.

Dr. Wincess Gentius, Program Advisor St. Croix & St. Thomas

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Brandon Larode, 10, Trinidad & Tobago

BRANDON LARODE WAS A QUIET AND SHY 10-YEAR-OLD boy when he arrived at the hearing mission in Trinidad and Tobago. He started school in September but only made sounds when he needed something. His speech therapist was confident that Brandon would be able to hear and speak if he were fit with hearing aids. And she was right. As soon as our team switched on his hearing aids, Brandon’s sparkling personality and electric smile emerged. He immediately started interacting with Starkey Hearing Foundation audiologist Justine Hammer and International Development Director Derek Johnson, mimicking sounds and noises. You could hear Brandon experimenting with his voice’s volume and tone from the counseling room to the exit. “He is usually a very quiet boy,” his aunt Tia Ranger said. “But when they put the hearing aids in, it was like a miracle.” Brandon and his mother returned for AfterCare services the following day to adjust the hearing aid volume and trim the hearing tube. We can’t wait to see what Brandon is able to accomplish with his new ability to hear.

Chalese Buttars, Au.D. Internationl Program Director

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NOTEWORTHY: Enriching Hearing and Speech Education

Reversing a Trend Phase 4 aims to help students mainstream into a hearing world

IVING THE GIFT OF HEARING IS JUST ONE ASPECT of the WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare Program. The ultimate goal is to empower people so that they can become self-determinate, share ideas and feelings, and be connected to life.

For children, that means participating in a classroom where total communication is integrated into their learning. However, in many parts of the world, students who are fit with hearing aids remain in schools for the deaf without any auditory or speech stimulation, limiting their opportunities to be a part of the hearing world. To reverse this trend for children who receive Starkey Hearing Foundation hearing aids, we have introduced Phase 4 Mainstreaming into Life, an offshoot of the Phase 3 AfterCare program. Phase 4 is aimed at providing children the opportunity to learn how to listen and speak, ultimately enhancing their ability to interact with and be a part of their communities. Currently, Phase 4 is in the pilot stage in three countries: the Philippines, Kenya, and India. Chalese Buttars, Director of International Programs, has developed the Phase 4 program in each country. Most recently, Buttars established Phase 4 at three schools in Kochi, India. In Kochi, Buttars informed parents, teachers and students about the importance of using hearing aids and wearing them every day, how to take care of the hearing aids, as well as ways to incorporate speech alongside sign language in the classroom and at home. “We are giving teachers and parents the knowledge and skills to better interact with deaf students.” Buttars said. “We are teaching them techniques to work on helping children to listen and speak, and not just use sign language or lip reading.”

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Each student in Phase 4 is monitored to track progress in listening, speech and language. Students who progress to the level of their hearing peers are given the opportunity to move into mainstream schools. “In developing countries, it is extremely difficult for any of these students to move onto college, to get a good job,” Buttars said. “If we give them some skills to be able to talk, listen and communicate in any shape or form, we are giving them a step up in life.”

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Starkey Hearing Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Graduating Class Students prepared to give hearing healthcare across Africa

FEATURE STORY: Another First for Starkey Hearing Foundation

HE FIRST COHORT OF STUDENTS graduated from Starkey Hearing Institute in Zambia on December 16, marking a significant milestone in Starkey Hearing Foundation’s quest to train 300 community-based hearing healthcare workers in Africa before 2030.

Graduates representing eight African nations received certification as Hearing Instrument Specialists. They are now qualified to practice community-based, primary, and secondary ear and hearing health services in both rural and urban African communities. These new specialists will play a critical role in eradicating preventable hearing loss and empowering people to achieve their potential. In Zambia, it is estimated that 750,000 people are living with hearing impairment. And in Sub-Saharan Africa the number is as high as 36 million people. The statistics underscore the urgent need to increase the number of individuals who can provide quality hearing healthcare. During the graduation, leaders from Zambia and the Institute reiterated that demand.

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Starkey Global Hearing Healthcare Initiative Advisory Board

“You help bring families together by helping families communicate,” said Esther Lungu, the first lady of Zambia and a champion for the establishment of the Institute. “You help children reach their highest potential by ensuring that they can hear their teachers. You are the hope for the hearing impaired and you should be proud of what you have achieved.”

Khotso Kebise, 27, of Lesotho, has worked as a country coordinator with the Foundation for the past three-and-a-half-years. He said the hearing instrument specialist program gave him a renewed sense of fulfillment and purpose.

Starkey Hearing Institute expands the vision of William F. Austin to provide accessible hearing care to those who cannot hear. This model is precedent-setting in shifting the paradigm toward the possibility that all the world can hear.

“We feel privileged to go out and bring sustainable solutions to hearing healthcare,” Kebise said. “Africa has been privileged, and today marks the starting point of our unstoppable journey toward a simple, sustainable and scalable hearing health program and I am proud I will be part of bringing those services.”

“We are giving our students employment opportunities by providing them with an internationally recognized hearing healthcare education said, Alfred Mwamba, Au.D., Executive Director, Starkey Hearing Institute. “These graduates will break down the barriers of a silent world for people with hearing loss in Africa.”

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Pictures: Thomas Nsama FIRST LADY OF ZAMBIA ESTHER LUNGU HOSTED Starkey Hearing Foundation Founder William F. Austin and Co-Founder Tani Austin at State House Press Office — Zambia. The First Lady was the guest of honor at the first-ever graduation at Starkey

Hearing Institute. The Foundation is advancing hearing healthcare through the new school and the remarkable graduates who will change the world for the better.

The opening of the Institute on March 17, 2016, was a capstone event in Austin’s more than 50-year career of giving the gift of hearing and expanding the WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare model to 51 countries, which is unprecedented in global hearing healthcare. 18

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THERE WERE A NUMBER OF STATISTICS that pushed Bwalya Mwelwa to enroll in the Starkey Hearing Institute in Lusaka, Zambia. Bwalya lives in Zambia where there is one trained audiologist, Dr. Alfred Mwamba, Executive Director of Starkey Hearing Institute. There are only two hearing aid dispensaries in the country, which is three times the size of the state of Minnesota. Nearly 5 percent of Zambia’s population has hearing loss. Bwalya was part of the Institute’s first graduating class. Students received a certification as Hearing Instrument Specialists. They are now qualified to practice community-based, primary, and secondary ear and hearing health services in both rural and urban African communities. Bwalya acknowledges the daunting task ahead and accepts the responsibility. “The road is not smooth, the road may be rough, dusty, slippery and full of obstacles,” Bwalya said. “But I still need to go down there and help people.”

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Students Look to the Future

toky_arison

toky_arison Can one act of kindness at a time truly change the world? Last year, a great human being said to me: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Years ago, a man saved the life of my great grandfather, a man who didn't owe him anything, a man he didn't even know. This man took care of him and did not ask for anything in return... I am where I am today because, more than one hundred years back, a stranger had decided he would give a helping hand to a man he could as well have ignored. My great grand dad received a gift that he could never repay: another opportunity at life... That stranger was a real Hero, his decision might not have defined his own future, but he unconsciously made the right call for thousands of people several generations down the line.â&#x20AC;? Yes, one act of kindness at a time can truly change the world... #IAmStarkey #StarkeyCares #TheGiftOfHearing #HearingAngels #SoTheWorldMayHear #Phase3 #Zambia2016 #EverydayIsAMiracle

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Why I'm Working in Hearing Healthcare:

“I will have a connection to a person who was living in the dark and now is in the light.” — Adella from Cameroon

“I will get to connect people back to their families, friends, and school.” — Robert from Malawi

“I have the ability to tell people we can help them.” — Amadou from the Gambia

“We are here because of a dream, and we are the manisfestation of a dream come true.” — Khotso from Lesotho

“I will bring hope to people who had lost hope.” — Esther from Kenya

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ZAMBIA Lusaka

Hearing Mission December 2016

FTER EIGHT MONTHS IN THE CLASSROOM, students of Starkey Hearing Institute put the skills they learned and the knowledge they acquired through one final practical exam: a hearing mission in Lusaka. The students worked with Institute teachers and advisers fitting patients with hearing aids.

“We have been training students, and they need to showcase what they have learned,” said Alfred Mwamba, Executive Director of Starkey Hearing Institute. “This is for the students and for us to celebrate them and their achievements of the past year.” As is the Starkey way, the hearing mission was truly a family affair. Our leaders mentored the students, we danced and sang, we laughed and cried, and we witnessed a marriage proposal. As the students return to their respective countries, they will change the lives of their patients and change Africa's hearing healthcare system. “I have the ability to tell people, ‘I can help you,’” said Amadou Bah, a 2016 graduate of Starkey Hearing Institute from the Gambia.

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“We have cast the die for a new level of hearing healthcare that will be unstoppable to those that have no access to hearing care.” — Tani Austin, Starkey Hearing Foundation Co-Founder

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“When your life's work and dreams become a reality, it's better than I ever dreamed. It was a really good day in Africa!” — William F. Austin, Starkey Hearing Foundation Founder

WHEN PATSON, 71, STARTED EXPERIENCING PAIN in his ears, he used all sorts of ear cleaners and medications to remedy the discomfort. But nothing worked and his hearing started to deteriorate. He could no longer communicate with his family, which includes 13 grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. After living with hearing loss for the past two years, Patson was fit with his first pair of hearing aids during Starkey Hearing Foundation's mission in Lusaka, Zambia. “I don’t have the means to help myself,” Patson said. “I am so joyous to see people like you. I am so excited, so happy.”

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SHORTLY BEFORE COMPLETING HER FINAL EXAMS for nursing school in 2014, Regina Bickiel, 28, completed postgraduate work in the outpatient department of an ear, nose and throat clinic in Malawi. That’s where she discovered her passion for ear and hearing healthcare. Regina enjoyed the work so much that she continued volunteering for nine months. “I didn’t want to let it go,” she said. “I could have waited around for my nursing certificate to come, but there were people who needed help.”

Ianthe Murad, Sc.D.

Today, Regina is a certified Hearing Instrument Specialist. She received her certificate as part of the first graduating class of Starkey Hearing Institute in Zambia. Regina plans to return to her home country of Malawi to provide the gift of hearing.

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FIRSTHAND: Hearing Healthcare Awareness

Firsthand Heather Jensen, Au.D.: Putting hearing health in the forefront

Foundation Magazine (FM): The World Health Organization estimates there are 360 million people around the world with disabling hearing loss. Being such a high number, what does it mean to you to work with Starkey Hearing Foundation and help people in need receive hearing healthcare they would not otherwise obtain? Heather Jensen, Au.D. (HJ): When I realized that of those 360 million people with hearing loss, 80 percent of them (more than the U.S. population) live in an area where they have no access to hearing health professionals. This number puts into perspective on why Starkey Hearing Foundation is so important. It can be overwhelming at times to think about how many people need hearing healthcare who have no options for obtaining it. Working with the Foundation allows me to help so many more people than I ever could on my own. When a patient receives hearing aids and is able to communicate with their loved ones, it changes the life of not only the patient but those around him or her. On hearing missions, you’re able to provide hearing aids over and over, all day long. The patients are so grateful for the gift of hearing. It is so rewarding to be a part of this gift. FM: The U.S. and other nations have regulations about noise in the workplace, but many developing nations do not. How prevalent is noise-induced hearing loss in developing countries? HJ: I feel that hearing loss is an “invisible” disease. Because there isn’t any pain associated with noise-induced hearing loss, it makes it easy to think it isn’t happening. Most countries we visit have no standards for noise levels in the workplace. We were recently in St. Kitts in the Caribbean and fit several patients who had lost their hearing after working for years in the noisy sugar factory. It is difficult to explain to them the importance of protecting their hearing. I always try to share this message while on hearing missions. 26

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FM: As a clinical professor at Utah State University, you’ve been a part of educating hearing care professionals in the U.S., and now you’re on the Foundation’s Advisory Board to educate hearing instrument specialists around the world. What does it mean to you to bring hearing healthcare education to parts of the world where it never existed? HJ: Educating those in other countries provides an opportunity for them to not only improve their abilities as healthcare providers, but also to change the community in which they live. Almost 95 percent of the Foundation’s hearing healthcare coordinators live in the communities/regions where they work. This means there will be a change in awareness and the ability to help those in need where it matters most to them. By educating those who work in the communities, we will be able to shift the way entire cities and countries view hearing loss, and ensure that the patients we fit with hearing aids are able to get the care that they need. FM: What should people know about the need to ensure they protect their hearing? HJ: According to the World Health Organization, 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe exposure to high volumes. Hearing loss has potentially devastating consequences for physical and mental health, education, and employment. They don’t realize that once the damage has occurred there is no way to bring their hearing back other than hearing aids. Now we realize the importance of protecting hearing, but it is still difficult to get teenagers and young adults to turn down the music!

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Delta Zeta Members Live Their Cause in Mexico 28

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MEXICO Toluca

Hearing Mission September 2016

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PEECH AND HEARING ARE DELTA ZETA SORORITY’S national humanitarian causes, a key reason why the sorority voted to make Starkey Hearing Foundation a philanthropic partner in 2006.

The partnership has grown as leadership throughout Delta Zeta continue to become more involved in Foundation activities. In 2015, Delta Zeta committed to donating $5 million to the Foundation. The campaign to raise money began last year with Hike for Hearing and the women who raised the most money from the campaign were invited to participate in a hearing mission. In September 2016 the seven top fundraisers, along with Delta Zeta Foundation President Virginia Loftin, joined the Foundation for a hearing mission in Toluca, Mexico. The Delta Zeta women wasted no time in getting to work. On the first day, mission leaders trained them on the WFA® fitting method and showed them how to get patients to the hearing level they needed. Quickly, the sorority members were fitting patients themselves, and making personal connections with each patient. “One of the big takeaways for me has been the dignity of every single person we’ve helped,” Loftin said. “When you look them in the eye and realize how much they want to hear the voices of the people they love and have that independence all of our senses give us.”

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During the four-day hearing mission, the team helped fit more than 2,500 patients. By the end of the week, every sorority member had helped over 100 people. Never a single complaint uttered about the long days, they all wanted to see as many patients as they could help. The entire Starkey Hearing Foundation team was impressed by the determination all the Delta Zeta women showed. Having the sorority members directly take part in the work to give the gift of hearing will only strengthen the relationship between the two organizations. “It was incredible watching the Delta Zeta women in action,” Brady Forseth, Starkey Hearing Foundation Executive Director of Philanthropy said. “It was easy to see the emotion they felt as they connected with patient after patient. We hope they share those feelings across their chapters and tell the Delta Zetas about the impact their efforts in supporting the Foundation are having around the world.”

“Being able to see people’s lives change in a second when they begin to be able to hear was really amazing. I feel truly blessed to be a part of it.” — Isabella Figueroa of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Delta Zeta Chapter

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special thanks: Destiny John; Leslie Short; Delta Zeta National Sorority: Virginia Loftin, Marissa Broten, Jacqueline Kinsley, Kasey Hutchinson, Arianna Billias, Isabella Figueroa, Jordyn Voegele, Casey Johnson

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Serving Canadian Seniors

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CANADA Toronto

Hearing Mission September 2016

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N LATE SEPTEMBER, SENIORS WITH HEARING LOSS living in Toronto’s Community Housing received the gift of hearing from Starkey Hearing Foundation. JaysCare Foundation hosted the first-ever Canadian Hearing Mission at Rogers Centre Toronto Skydome, where seniors were reconnected to their family, community, and world.

“I saw surprise, I saw joy, I saw people recognizing how poorly their hearing was prior to putting the device on,” explained Buck Martinez, former Major League Baseball player and manager and Sportsnet broadcaster. “I think that’s the big satisfaction when they see somebody that might be hearing for the first time, or could communicate with their children for the first time again in a long time.” Starkey Hearing Foundation’s team of audiologists and staff fit customized, state-of-the-art, digital hearing devices. The team then trained patients and their families on how to operate the hearing devices. “Humanity shines when we treat people with dignity and respect, and you hear and understand each other,” said Tani Austin, Starkey Hearing Foundation Co-Founder and Starkey Hearing Technologies Chief Philanthropy Officer. Giving a person the ability to hear has an immediate positive impact on that person’s quality of life and a compounding effect on the world.

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“The first thing I realized when I was in there, was that the need for hearing aids was so great, not just in Canada or North America, but all around the world,” said Pat Tabler, former Major League Baseball player and Sportsnet broadcaster.

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The Art of Making a Connection 38

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COLOMBIA Bogota, Medellin

Hearing Mission October 2016

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Starkey Hearing Technologies' Sr. Manager of Audiology Research, Jason Galster and Manager of Clinical Product Research, Elizabeth Galster

TARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION HAS WORKED TO give the gift of hearing in Colombia for nearly 20 years. The team was excited to return to the country and immerse themselves in the rich culture and beautiful art.

From the outset in Bogota, patients expressed their joy and gratitude with inspiring creativity. A young team of dancers with hearing loss came to the hearing mission. Once our team had fit them all with hearing aids, they performed with many of them fully experiencing the music they dance to for the first time. Next, the team traveled to Medellin and was joined by many from SproutLoud Media Networks. Not only did several company executives participate, but dozens of people from their Medellin office also volunteered their time to assist with the hearing mission. Across all of Colombia, where family ties are so deeply rooted, it was touching to see so many families communicate with hearing. Whether it was young Thomas hearing his brother for the first time, or grandmother Maria who hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heard in more than a decade, we will always appreciate helping generations of families connect in the world of sound.

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“Seeing this work in action, there’s really just nothing like it,” Jared Shusterman, CEO of SproutLoud Media Networks said. “There’s just so much that stands out watching people’s lives change right in front of you. Their eyes light up and you know you’ve made such a deep connection with the other person.”

special thanks: Taylor Corporation: Deb Taylor; Metropolitan Council Contract Administration:

Tom Veilleux; SproutLoud Media Networks, LLC: Jared Shusterman, Dave Kinsella, David Spinola, Gary Ritkes, Anjan Upadhya

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Many Patients, Many Thanks 42

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PERU

Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Pisco, Huaraz Training and Mission October 2016

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URING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, Starkey Hearing Foundation traveled across Peru to give the gift of hearing to those in need.

We had team members in Peru whose experience varied from their first-ever mission to decades of experience giving hearing healthcare. However, all returned saying the same thing: They were blown away by how thankful every patient was for the care they received. Feeling gratitude from patients is nearly universal everywhere our team works, but in the case of the Peruvian people, many were already showing appreciation even before being seen, much less after receiving their hearing aids. While we could not possibly begin to share all the moments that stood out to us across the cities we traveled to in Peru, read some of our favorite stories that will always remain with us.

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SOMETIMES A PICTURE CAN’T TELL YOU THE WHOLE STORY of how the mission team fits a hearing aid. We bring 10 different levels of a hearing aids ranging from 1-10, and within each numbered aids we have different volume levels. When we get past our level “6” hearing aid, we have a tough case. Alexis, a strong and handsome (but silent) 11-year-old boy who loves to play soccer, came to the mission in his workout clothes. Alexis was one of our tough cases, as we thought Alexis had a “non-working ear.” Throughout the lengthy fitting, Alexis’ mom couldn’t move her hand from the front of her mouth as she was so nervous, hoping for the device to work on each device we tried. When we got to device level “9” the whole team was apprehensive. When we moved the volume to three almost at the end of the road, we finally saw Alexis’ face light up, he indicated he heard, and his mom gasped in relief.

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THE YACTAYO CORTEZ FAMILY HAD NEVER HEARD EACH other’s voices before coming to our hearing mission in Lima, Peru. The family had always lived with deafness. Father Cesar, 45, and mother Flora, 45, were born deaf. So too, were their children, Tatiana, 10, and Dagner, 8. The family was living at the Sordos En Efata, a home for deaf people, when the administrator told them about the hearing mission. The mother, father, son, and daughter all had their lives changed instantly when they came to the mission. Each family member received hearing aids that enabled them to hear their own voices and the voices of their relatives for the first time. Soon they were talking with each other, to the point that the sister thought the brother was talking too loudly for her — typical sibling behavior. Now the family must learn to communicate verbally, a difficult concept for anyone who has lived a life without hearing. “They have never heard sound before, so their brain must learn to process words and sounds,” said Tani Austin, Co-Founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation. “They are like newborn babies with sound.”

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MARIA IS A LOVELY 83-YEAR-OLD PERUVIAN LADY WHO came to us with her son, Augustin, who wanted his mother to hear her children, hear her grandchildren, and hear her church all for the first time. Maria has dealt with hearing loss all her life, with only the most minimal of hearing in her left ear. She has never had hearing aids. Augustin told us she couldn’t hear any of her four children. She would talk very loudly because she couldn’t sense her environment. The trait that stood out is how sweet and joyful Maria was to all of our team. When the hearing devices were given, we all asked, “Maria Happy?” She said, “Maria Happy.” So Tani played Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy” for her. Augustin told us his mother “has worked so hard her whole life, and so this is an incredible blessing. Great happiness for mother.”

The butterfly effect is a condition in which a small change in one state results in large differences in a later state. In Peru, providing more than 1,600 people with hearing has an incredible compounding effect on their lives and the world. These individuals will now connect better with their loved ones, have improved quality of life, and have more economic opportunities, which means their community will also gain more prosperity.

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SHEYLA AND DANNY, BOTH OF WHOM HAVE HEARING LOSS, wanted to hear because they are expecting a baby girl in two months. Both were born with hearing loss. However, only Sheyla was registered to receive hearing aids â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Danny was not. He came to support Sheyla. Upon learning that he also has hearing loss, our team immediately registered him and fit him as well because the new parents both have to hear and talk to each other. After giving the gift of hearing to the couple, Tani Austin made both the mother and father-to-be pinky swear that they would speak to each other and their baby.

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Singer-songwriter Chantel Kreviazuk

special thanks: Taylor Moor; Terri Taylor; Hearing Solutions: Michelle Scott, Samantha and Courtney Head,

Craig and Holly Nance; Grant Park Hearing Centre: Kevin McNabb; E. Arseneau Audiologist Inc: Donald and Elizabeth Arseneau; Smiles from Ear to Hear: Carlos and Demetra Valente; Robillard Hearing Centre: JB Robillard, Julia Robillard; Bentley Hearing Services: Barb Bentley

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Another First

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MARSHALL ISLANDS Majuro

Training and Mission October 2016

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FTER SPENDING MORE THAN A MONTH GIVING hearing care to thousands of people across Peru, our team immediately flew to the Pacific Ocean, beginning with a hearing mission in the Marshall Islands.

The Marshall Islands have unique geographical qualities, not only because of their remote location halfway between Hawaii and Australia, but also because they extend more than 750,000 square miles in total, but only occupy 70 square miles of land mass. Having more than 50,000 total inhabitants spread across this remote geography means many have little to no access to hearing healthcare. To change this, Agnes Flood joined our team as the country coordinator for the Marshall Islands. She received training in our model in early 2016 in Vietnam, and brought that knowledge back to the capital city of Majuro to begin screening and identifying patients. After months seeing people in need, Agnesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work resulted in the first-ever hearing mission in the Marshall Islands. Our team greatly enjoyed working with Agnes to give hearing healthcare, and we take comfort in knowing she will remain there to provide continuous care to people in need.

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ONE MEMORY THAT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN from this trip to the Marshall Islands is that of young brothers Ertai and Joner. They both came to the hearing mission having never heard each other. However, after they received the gift of hearing, they both started laughing with delight. That excitement only multiplied as they realized they were hearing each other for first time, too. We greatly look forward to hearing their progress.

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INDONESIA

Jakarta, Bandung, Palembang, Surabaya, Solo, Bali, Makassar, Pontianak Hearing Mission November 2016

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UR TEAM WASTED NO TIME HELPING INDONESIANS by fitting hundreds of people each day with hearing aids. In turn, we received a strong welcome with countless smiles and messages of thanks from nearly 8,000 people helped by our team.

The hearing mission in Indonesia featured a few venerable Foundation supporters including Sandi Young, Ret and Caren Templet, and Neil Aiello, who have supported giving the gift of hearing around the world for well over a decade. “There’s never adequate words to describe being on a hearing mission with the Starkey family,” Sandi Young said. “To be in a room with so many people in need, and witness them going from silent to hearing, it’s incredible, and I’ll never stop being thankful for the experience.”

“I was told going in that this would be an emotional experience,” Jackson Balla said. “However, nothing could have fully prepared me for what I experienced in being able to look people in the eye and see absolute joy spread across their face.” Following our time in Jakarta, our team traveled to Bandung where we had the pleasure of welcoming renowned singer and good friend Portia Clark, along with her fiancée Brendan, to the hearing mission. They both showed a tremendous amount of compassion to patients, as well as brightened the day for many by sharing beautiful vocals for people after they were opened to the world of sound. We continued on to Surabaya where we met Jasmine, a 10-year-old girl who was born with hearing loss. Her mother sought medical attention early to give her daughter the full benefits of a working ear, but the surgeries that doctors suggested were too expensive for the family. When her mother, Mrs. Alya, found out about Starkey Hearing Foundation, she was overwhelmed with gratitude at the chance to give her daughter the chance to hear.

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“I’ve been waiting 10 years to have this moment!” Her joy and gratitude were contagious. In reference to the Starkey Hearing Foundation team, she said, “I don’t know where they are sent from, maybe they are sent from the heavens. Thank you so much! It is a blessing for our daughter to have her voice again!” The opportunity to give children the chance at a more fulfilling life by utilizing the gift of hearing is what pushed us to the cities of Solo and then Bali! In Bali, we teamed up with Starkey Australia and a group of 40 Australian customers. The joyful emotion throughout the days was literally tangible as smiles, cheers and tears were shared with our team and the patients we got to help. Our team wrapped up the cities of Indonesia in Makassar and finally Pontianak on Thanksgiving. We are filled with gratitude for those who support the Foundation, the lives that changed ours and the team of angels we work with every day.

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Nurfatia, 9, has had hearing loss since birth. She lit up the entire hearing mission in Makassar, Indonesia, with excitement as she received the gift of hearing.

IN THE MIDDLE OF ANOTHER HOT AND MUGGY DAY, where we again fit more than 500 Indonesians of all ages, we had a gentleman who made it a momentous day for Starkey Hearing Foundation. William F. Austin provided the gift of hearing to a man whose family said is 145 years of age. Sodimejo arrived by ambulance to our Solo hearing mission site. Mr. Austin went to see him in the ambulance as Sodimejo could not walk. In cramped quarters with his family by his side, Mr. Austin fit him with hearing devices that allowed him to reconnect with them and to life. Now, at this many years-of-age, Sodimejo heard his grandchildren. Tani stated, “People seem to find us in the most remote and strangest ways, and today in Solo, a family found us by ambulance so we could help their grandfather.” After the fitting, Sodimejo’s family shared his identification with our team, showing his year of birth as 1870, making him not only the oldest person that Mr. Austin has ever fit, but the oldest in the entire world ... a man who just wanted to hear. Currently, Sodimejo lives with his 46-year-old grandson, as he has outlived his four deceased wives and three children. He attributes his health to “patience and gratitude.” What is not lost on any of us at Starkey Hearing Foundation is how we not only helped one man, but also generations of his family. Sodimejo will now communicate with his family, and they will learn more about their remarkable grandfather whose experiences span over a century.

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Three-year-old Nafisa laughing and dancing for joy after receiving the gift of hearing in Indonesia.

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Laila, 65, hadn't heard sounds since she was a small girl. She shed tears of joy when our team gave her the gift of hearing in Indonesia, which opened her back up to the world of sound! 60

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GIDEON BROUGHT HIS YOUNG FAMILY WITH HIM to our hearing mission. After suffering an infection, he hadn't heard them well for a few years. The whole family showed great excitement after Gideon received his hearing aids, and they began communicating as a family with hearing.

special thanks: Brandan and Portia Clark; Talha Patel; Columbia Basin Hearing Center: Neil Aiello; Sandi Young; Ret Templet; Caren Templet; Birdie Thomas; Jackson Balla

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AFRICA Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya

Hearing Mission November 2016

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HE NEED FOR HEARING HEALTHCARE IN AFRICA is vast. To provide more hearing care, Starkey Hearing Foundation launched a full-time office in 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya, with a team dedicated to helping across Africa.

In November, that team traveled to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, then to Gisenya, Rwanda, before returning back to Nairobi, working diligently at each hearing mission to give the gift of hearing to hundreds of people. All of Starkey Hearing Foundation is proud to see the momentum continue to build in providing more hearing healthcare in Africa. Not only is the team out of the Kenya office growing, but so too are the partnerships being created to make sure anywhere our team is helping patients, they are locally supported. “Our impact across Africa continues to grow at an amazing pace,” Owen Olende, Starkey Hearing Foundation’s International Development Director of East Africa said. “My favorite part is as we continue to train more team members to give more hearing care to more people in need, it gives us that many more opportunities to come back and hear how patients’ lives have improved.”

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TAMARA, 19, HAS ENJOYED PLAYING SOCCER HER ENTIRE LIFE. She’s gotten so good that she’s been a part of several highly competitive teams in Kenya. However, she’s also had hearing loss for years, which made it difficult at times to communicate on the field with teammates.

She was very excited when she was seen by our team in Nairobi, smiling from ear to ear as she received the hearing devices she needs. We look forward to hearing how she’s able to progress both on and off the field.

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MEXICO

Tuxtla Gutierrez in the state of Chiapas Hearing Mission December 2016

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ACH DECEMBER, STARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION holds a Christmas mission, spreading holiday cheer around the world. This year’s mission took place in Mexico in the cities of Tuxtla Gutierrez, in the state of Chiapas, and in the Yucatan city of Mérida. We met many patients in Tuxtla Gutierrez who were so happy to hear again and participate in the holidays with their families. A big thank you to the Starkey Hearing Foundation Team from Mexico.

MERIDA In the state of Yucatan

Hearing Mission December 2016

FTER WRAPPING UP OUR WORK IN Tuxtla Gutierrez, the team traveled to Mérida in the Yucatan Peninsula. A great time was had by all helping the beautiful people of this region. We were blessed to have David Illich and his wife, Kathleen, with us for both missions. The Illich’s are from San Diego, California have been longtime supporters of Starkey Hearing Foundation.

As soon as our Mérida mission concluded, the core team headed to Dakar, Senegal, to work on the new Foundation medical training facility, which is much needed in Africa. Then it was off to Lusaka, Zambia, for the inaugural Starkey Hearing Institute graduation and hearing mission.

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AROUND THE WORLD: Hearing Education

Listening Ears Schools Open in India Mainstreaming Into Life

AINSTREAMING CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN FIT with hearing devices begins with education. Helping the children to learn how to understand sounds and language with the hearing aids is important to their development. However, in many parts of the world the students fit with hearing aids are not taught how their new devices impact how they hear, listen and speak.

To change this trend in India, Starkey Hearing Foundation worked with local partners to open Listening Ears schools in Bangalore and Delhi. Listening Ears is a unique early intervention school that provides a comprehensive habilitation approach for children with hearing loss, ensuring each enrolled child can transition into a mainstream school within two years.

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Listening Ears is also opening its doors to children of preschool age to begin providing Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) sessions to help children learn to hear and thus develop speech and language. Listening Earsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mission is to serve children with hearing loss in a distinctive and innovative educational program that includes: development of spoken language, individual AVT, rigorous academic standards and curriculum, motivating and language enriched environment, qualified teachers with ongoing teacher training, state-of-the-art technology, parent education and involvement, active audiological management, and emphasis on the arts to enhance public speaking skills. Starkey Hearing Foundation understands and supports children attending Listening Ears as they are opened to opportunities in what was once a silent world to them, creating a new normal in their lives.

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AROUND THE WORLD: Braving the Storm

Helping Haiti Through Hurricane Matthew A massive storm could not stop the team from giving hearing healthcare

TARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION HAS WORKED FOR years to bring hearing healthcare to Haiti. The people of Haiti have seen so much devastation over the last decade, which is why the Foundation was determined to care for and improve lives for the people living there.

Travel to Haiti requires many levels of setup and months of advanced planning. By mid-summer, the team planned follow-up AfterCare for Haitian patients in early October, cognizant that it would take place in the heart of hurricane season. As Hurricane Matthew smashed into Haiti, Dr. Jane O’Brien didn’t miss a beat in providing hearing care to those who needed it. Mindful that the storm could render one steady location unusable, the team used a large SUV to load up supplies and converted the vehicle into a mobile hearing healthcare station. The team took every precaution to make sure everyone remained safe as they traveled across Haiti. They sought higher elevations through the storm and continued to provide care to those in need. “It was amazing to watch the Haitians come out and support one another,” O’Brien said. “The people there are so resilient, and they were nonstop asking how they can help.” As this was taking place, Jocelyn, a Haiti hearing healthcare worker, knew many of his family members were in the storm. Though his thoughts and prayers were with his family, Jocelyn remained dedicated to helping those he could. Everyone on the team gave Jocelyn all the support they could and breathed a great sigh of relief when he got the call saying that his family was safe.

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Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc across much of Haiti, sadly another destructive event to take place on the small island country. Our hearts continue to reach out to Haitians in need as we look to the next time we’ll be able to go in and provide care. “We’ll absolutely be back to Haiti soon,” O’Brien said.

Luqman Lawal with a patient in Nairobi, Kenya S TA R K E Y H E A R I N G FO U N DAT I O N

AROUND THE WORLD: Academic Partnerships

Coalition for Global Hearing Healthcare Providing care and thought leadership in the Philippines

TARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION’S ACADEMIC partnerships provide a scientific footprint around the world where we collaborate with experts to advance hearing healthcare.

Ahead of the conference, our team took the opportunity to demonstrate our work in action for other world leaders in attendance. We showcased all four phases of the WFA® Community-Based Hearing HealthCare model.

Because of this approach, the Foundation has become a leader in advancing hearing health services in developing regions.

Patients were screened and had custom ear molds made, then were fit with hearing aids using the WFA® fitting method. Counseling followed to ensure patients were comfortable using their hearing aids, and they were instructed who to contact and where to go to receive follow-up AfterCare services.

This leadership was highlighted once again in October 2016 as Starkey Hearing Foundation was invited to present at the pre-conference for the 7th Annual Coalition for Global Hearing Health at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines. According to the Coalition for Global Hearing Health, the purpose of the conference is to: “Advocate for hearing health services and policies, to equip and empower hearing healthcare professionals, families, educators, communities and the hearing impaired, and to encourage and perpetuate best practices.” Fittingly for Starkey Hearing Foundation’s involvement in the conference, the University of Santo Tomas has already served for years as a strong academic partner of the Foundation. Other academic partners from Utah State University, University of Nairobi, University of Rwanda, and the University of Malawi also joined us in the Philippines to support our WFA® CommunityBased Hearing HealthCare Simple, Sustainable, and Scalable model to making hearing healthcare available in places it never existed.

The Coalition for Global Hearing Health also made for a strong setting to show our Phase 4 Mainstreaming into Life program. Currently our team is working at existing schools for the deaf and hard of hearing to help teachers and parents better understand the needs of students using hearing aids and equip them with the knowledge and skills to incorporate total communication into their curriculum. Several schools in the Philippines brought in students who eagerly showed their improved ability to detect and discriminate sounds, and the improved speech they had developed over the last year. Phase 4 was well received by many attending the conference. They were very interested in seeing the scientific data that backed our conclusion that auditory training through teachers and parents is important to developing listening skills and improving speech for children with hearing loss. We look forward to having other hearing healthcare leaders around the world join our cause to help even more people around the globe.

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Alfred Mwamba, Executive Director of Starkey Hearing Institute

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Global Impact Starkey Hearing Foundation is a humanitarian

The Foundation has provided hearing devices

cause that breaks down barriers and borders

in the Americas, African Region, Eastern

around the world to help individuals feel connected

Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and the

and empowered through the gift of hearing.

Western Pacific Region. We have touched

The hearing mission teams travel the globe

millions of people in more than 100 countries.

delivering the gift of hearing to thousands of people, opening the door of opportunity to them.

Canada

United States

Mexico Belize Guatemala Honduras El Salvador Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama

Netherlands Scotland England Northern Ireland Ireland Wales Belgium Austria Switzerland France Croatia Italy Portugal Spain Jamaica Haiti Dominican Republic Puerto Rico St. Kitts and Nevis Antigua St. Lucia Morocco Grenada Mauritania Trinidad Senegal Guyana Sierra Leone Liberia Ivory Coast Ghana Togo Venezuela Colombia Ecuador Brazil Peru Bolivia Paraguay Chile Uruguay Argentina

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Norway Sweden Denmark Germany Czech Republic Latvia Lithuania Poland Bosnia Ukraine Serbia Romania Kosovo Albania Moldova Bulgaria Greece

Turkey Kazakhstan Lebanon Israel/Palestine Jordan Iraq Uzbekistan Iran Afghanistan Kyrgyzstan Pakistan Mongolia

South Korea China Taiwan Vietnam Laos PhilippinesÂ Thailand Cambodia Malaysia Indonesia Marshall Islands Papua New Guinea

Bhutan Egypt Sudan Bangladesh Ethiopia Nepal Uganda Sri Lanka Kenya Rwanda India Burundi Zanzibar Tanzania Malawi MadagascarÂ Mauritius Mozambique Zimbabwe Lesotho Zambia Democratic Republic of the Congo Botswana South Africa Republic of the Congo Nigeria

Samoa American Samoa

Australia New Zealand

Countries with direct Starkey Hearing Foundation contact and impacted by hope and hearing. S TA R K E Y H E A R I N G FO U N DAT I O N

Did You Know... Depression Those with untreated hearing loss have significantly higher incidence of feelings of isolation and depression.

Lifespan Studies show older adults with untreated impaired hearing have a shorter lifespan than peers with hearing problems that wear hearing aids.

ted have

aids.

Balance People with mild hearing loss (25 dB) are more likely to have a history of falling. Every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss increases the chances of falling by 1.4 times the original risk.

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the Consequences? Cognitive Cognitive Decline Cognitive Decline Decline

Adults* hearing with untreated Adults with untreated loss * Adults with hearingfaster lossuntreated experience experience a 30-40% decline hearing loss experience a 30-40% faster decline in cognitive abilities compared to a faster decline in30-40% cognitive abilities peers with aidedin hearing. cognitivetoabilities compared peers

Dementia

Adults with untreatedcompared hearing losstoare peers without hearing loss. more likely to develop dementia.

30% 30% 40% 40%

without hearing loss. *75 years and older

*75 years and older

severe loss

Dementia

moderate loss mild loss

Adults with untreated hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia.

Tinnitus of people with tinnitus have hearing loss.

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In Loving Memory of Dr. Earl R. Harford I

n 2016, a dear and loyal Starkey Hearing Foundation friend and board member, Dr. Earl Harford, passed away. Dr. Harford was a true pioneer in audiology and real ear measurements. His efforts have helped shape the profession for the past 60 years. A stalwart supporter and steward of our mission, Dr. Harford was simply a lovely gentleman and will be missed by many.

"Earl was a pioneer for audiology but specifically for dispensing audiologists dedicated to serving the patient. He was a good and loyal friend to us and Starkey. We will all miss his intellect, but most of all his humor and jovial outlook on life," said Mr. and Mrs. Austin. Dr. Harford worked for Starkey Laboratories as Director of University Services. During his tenure at Starkey, he worked on microphone technology for in situ measurements of the ear. Dr. Harford originated and directed the Audiology Internship Program where more than 150 audiologists, many of whom became leaders in the profession, completed the program.

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Dr. Harford was a board member for Starkey Hearing Foundation where he traveled on many missions and set the course for advancing the mission that now has 51 WFAÂŽ Community-based Hearing HealthCare Programs. Mr. Austin said Dr. Harford exemplifies a long-lasting, endearing friendship. Mr. Austin first fit Dr. Harford with hearing aids 40 years ago. Mr. Austin provided Earl's last new fitting shortly before he passed. Dr. Harfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributions to the audiology profession are profound. He was a mentor and invaluable resource to us in our work to provide hearing healthcare. The Starkey Hearing Family extends our condolences to his wife, Jennifer, and the Harford family.

Starkey Hearing Foundation Board of Directors Richard S. Brown President, Board of Directors Joint Executive & Finance Committee Chair Grant Committee Chair Director Elizabeth Tulach Vice President, Board of Directors Joint Executive & Finance Committee Member Director Jeff D. Papineau Treasurer, Board of Directors Joint Executive & Finance Committee Member Director

Shara L. Pace Secretary, Board of Directors Joint Executive & Finance Committee Secretary Director Benjamin Hopps Director Paul Nash, D.C. Director Rudi Unterthiner, MD Director

Managing Editor: Holli Reppe Creative Director: Molly McCabe Production Manager: Theresa Turner Art Director: Nate Skogen Photography: Mark McCarthy, Wanjohi Kennedy, Getty, AP Field & Mission Reporter: Larissa Mavros

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Starkey Hearing Foundation uses hearing as a vehicle to reflect caring and improve the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world. We conduct hearing missions in the United States and around the globe in an effort to bring the gift of hearing to people in need.

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