hear so the world may
S pr i ng 2 0 1 2
Starkey Hearing Foundation
Listen Carefully
Only you can protect your hearing.
ISRAEL & PALESTINE • UNITED STATES • MEXICO • DOMINICAN REPUBLIC COLoMBIA • HAITI • RWANDA • UGANDA • TANZANIA
Listen To the world we share. A world so busy, so bold it demands awareness. Too many young people are losing the invaluable gift of hearing. 1 in 5 cannot catch the softer sounds of a whisper the murmur of spring rain the things we barely notice until they’re gone, so listen carefully
And spread the word.
Tell us your ideas: facebook.com/starkeyhearing 3
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Inside Reel A peek at stunning, documentary-style films of missions and more. Engage Letters from our friends and supporters.
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Field Notes Carry On Checklist: what does the team carry? Noteworthy The first ever Hearing Innovation Expo rocks Las Vegas.
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Firsthand DJ Robbie Wilde on dancing in utero, Starkey Hearing Foundation and how to get famous (hint: work)!
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Sounds Good Can you identify this sound?
We want to hear from you. Tell us your thoughts: facebook.com/ starkeyhearing 6700 Washington Avenue South Eden Prairie, MN 55344 www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org 9440 Santa Monica Blvd #708 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Starkey Hearing Foundation is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) public tax-exempt charitable organization.
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Recent Missions 14
Tulkarem and Tel Aviv Neighbors Israel and Palestine unite around the gift of hearing.
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Making Connections in Minnesota Minnesotan children and their families receive the gift of hearing.
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Love Thy Neighbor The team returns to share the love, and the gift of hearing, in Mexico.
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Major League In the Dominican Republic, Pedro Martinez helps us knock it out of the park.
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Star-Studded Super Bowl XLVI Mission Country crooner Garth Brooks helps fit an excited crowd.
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Clinton in Colombia Marlee Matlin and President Bill Clinton join our Colombia mission.
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Hello Again Haiti A Haiti mission illuminates the power of hearing.
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Helping Hands, Beaming Faces A tireless young volunteer evokes her father’s pride.
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Barbara Bush at St. Monica’s School In Uganda, we do all we can.
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Return to Tanzania A sobering, transformative mission.
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Listen Carefully I ntroduction to a hearing loss prevention movement.
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Excellent real-time documentary-style short films await you at starkeyhearingfoundation.org. So head there—and let us know what you think.
Reel We round up our latest visual storytelling. Road to the Heart Stars share heartfelt thoughts on sound, hearing missions and the Austin family: featuring Bill Clinton, Miley Cyrus, Whoopi Goldberg, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Maria Bello and other influential friends.
“If you want to have the world hear, then you know you’ve got to do it one person at a time, and you’ve got to go to them.” Garth Brooks, Singer
“All of the factions that are fighting sort of take a break when the Starkey Hearing Foundation comes. They find a way to make a little bit of peace.” Whoopi Goldberg, Actress
“I’m a true believer in this foundation, or I wouldn’t be here in a bowtie.” Tommie Harris, NFL Player
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Hear Now Hits Super Bowl XLVI
Dominican Republic
Garth Brooks, Justin Hines, Tommie Harris and other household names discuss the importance of hearing—but the most powerful story in this short film is Mario’s. When this college freshman lost his hearing crossing a busy street, his family couldn’t get the help they needed. As we fit him for a hearing aid, his mother shares their joys and frustrations against the backdrop of Hear Now, our national program serving U.S. citizens in need.
Baseball legend Pedro Martinez returns to his birthplace to connect children with their families—and their futures— through the miracle of sound.
Letters and posts from you—on the web and in the mail.
Engage Collected posts from Facebook.com/StarkeyHearing Miley Cyrus: My friends at the Starkey Hearing Foundation are in Tanzania giving the gift of hearing! Be sure to “like” them and learn more about the amazing work they do!
Starkey Hearing Foundation: Maasai warriors perform a ceremonial dance to honor the gift of hearing and the gift of water, from Randy Hogan and Pentair, to the people of Tanzania. Founder Bill Austin was given a cow and made an elder of this Maasai community. What an honor! Visit facebook.com/StarkeyHearing to watch the video.
Christopher C Merkley: Your work has greatly benefited many of my students in Kenya. As the Kenyans proudly say Asanta sana.
Ronnie Frey I am wirelessly streaming my TV directly into my new hearing aids right now.... THIS IS SO COOL! Thank you, Starkey Hearing Foundation!! I can hear every word! Loving this!
Starkey Hearing Foundation: ‘The Artist’ took home the award for best picture. Having a silent film reminded us how we can take sound for granted but there is no limit to ways you can express yourself. Let us know what are some of your favorite films! facebook.com/ StarkeyHearing
Steve Saylor: THANK YOU! Your incredible generosity and truly humanitarian spirit helped give my daughter back her hearing today. Words cannot begin to express how much we appreciate Dr. Austin, everyone at the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and the incredible voluteers that gave their time and expertise to make this event happen.
A day before Superbowl XLVI, Catherine Buckallew received a surprise she had been waiting to receive for over 50 years! Catherine’s 15-year-old daughter,
Michelle, wrote a personal letter to Bill Austin explaining that her mother has never been able to afford a nice pair of hearing aids. Michelle described her life growing up with five brothers and sisters and her hearing impaired mom. Catherine had been considered legally deaf since the age of 2! Bill Austin is not one to say no to such a request. On February 3, during our Indianapolis hearing mission, we were able to give Catherine a pair of our best hearing aids! Because of all of the love and support we get, we are able to make dreams like this come true all over the world and right in our backyard.
I thank God for giving me the chance to help again and feel this beautiful feeling one more time. I thank you all for
coming back again and for this beautiful big hope you created in our lives. I especially thank our respectful man Bill Austin and his gentle wife Tani Austin! I pray God will save and protect you both, wherever you are and give you as much happiness as you are giving everyone.
Hatim Qarmash West Bank Mission of Peace Volunteer
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Our mission is all over the map. The goal is clear: Deliver 1,000,000 hearing aids within this decade. The reason is obvious: Help people in need, in turn transforming families and communities. The method is effective: Reach out to hearingimpaired children and adults around the globe— many living in isolation, at home and in developing countries. The results are life-changing. Tell us how you can help: facebook.com/starkeyhearing Or donate now by visiting: www.firstgiving.com/ starkeyhearingfoundation/ springmagcampaign
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Giving the Gift of Hearing: Globally Bill Austin began with the desire to make a difference 50 years ago. He followed up with action. To date, the Starkey Hearing Foundation has given more than 1 million hearing aids to people in need throughout the world. We’re building a global network of care—and you can help.
1 + 1 = 2 = million hearing aids to date
million hearing aids this decade
www.StarkeyHearingFoundation.org
million hearing aids provided to those in need
Countless lives changed, as we impact not just the person in need but also their family and friends with the gift of hearing.
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hearing aids Every fitting starts with the lowest amplification. Volume is gradually increased to reach the perfect level.
work uniform
extra ear molds
Black or khaki pants; matching Foundation polo.
50-300 unregistered people have arrived, unexpected, at global missions. Often, they’ve traveled for days. The team fits every one of them.
iPhones, MP3 players and other audio devices
protein bars, beef jerky
Many children have waited all their lives to hear music. First there is the heartsong of their loved ones rejoicing. Then, the music of their own voices. Then Mozart. Miley Cyrus. The world.
There’s no time for a lunch break on most missions.
rain gear In the Philippines, the team was besieged by a sudden storm and had to set up tarps in the downpour. The mission continued with the help of professional boxer Manny Pacquiao, who assisted in fitting more than 150 children and adults on the team’s final day.
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How do you prepare for a Global Hearing Mission ? Expect the unexpected. And pack lots of snacks.
Field Notes
Carry-on Checklist
Toothpaste. Traveler’s checks. Passport. These items weigh the bags of any international traveler. But what to pack when you can’t possibly know what to expect?
Narrow mountain paths; roadblocks and flash floods. A deaf child who shows up, alone and unregistered, after the sun has set. When your mission is to go where the need is, and help everyone who comes, your checklist looks a little different. Leah Jackson, Starkey Hearing Foundation’s Director of Programs and Communications, shares just a few of the items you’ll find in the bags of our global mission team.
audiologist’s tools The team gently examines and cleans each ear before a fitting. Blockages prevent accurate hearing aid readings, and patients must be clear of infection—a serious issue in countries lacking clean water.
gold medals People beam as they finger the medals that the team drapes around their necks on red-white-and-blue ribbons. The medals are an international symbol of victory—and for the field team, they’re also a way to keep track of who’s completed an individual fitting and must be guided to a hearing care counselor.
cameras Share more hearing mission moments at: www.StarkeyHearingFoundation.org
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3 (1) Frank Vascellaro and Sir Richard Branson (2) Bill Austin and President Bill Clinton (3) Brandon Sawalich, Bill and Tani Austin, Bill Rancic and Steven Sawalich.
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In January, the first-ever Hearing Innovation Expo rocked Las Vegas. Keynote speakers included President Bill Clinton and Sir Richard Branson .
Noteworthy
Hearing Innovation Expo Inspires The first-ever Hearing Innovation Expo—hosted by Starkey Hearing Technologies— broke new ground in hearing health. More than 3,000 people gathered at The Cosmopolitan™ of Las Vegas for the inaugural Hearing Innovation Expo, and all who did left inspired and energized. The three-day event served as the perfect platform to showcase the efforts of Starkey Hearing Foundation, and also offered hearing professionals 45 courses with topics ranging from technology and care to the importance of philanthropy. Hearing angels Sir Richard Branson, President Bill Clinton, and Bill Rancic were among the keynote speakers and spoke about the life-changing impact of our work around the world. Our good friend Marlee Matlin also joined us in the Foundation booth to help raise awareness to our efforts. Other speakers included author of The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation, Jay Elliot; body language expert and regular FOX News contributor, Tonya Reiman; baby boomer expert and author, Mary Furlong; and many more. Additionally, Grammy award-winning group Rascal Flatts closed the event as the headline entertainer.
Planning is underway for the next Hearing Innovation Expo, scheduled for January 15-19, 2014 in Las Vegas. Starkey Hearing Foundation will be on hand to showcase our mission of bringing understanding among people through hearing care.
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Recent Missions
Minneapolis Indianapolis Mexico
Haiti
Israel & Palestine
Dominican Republic Uganda
Colombia
Rwanda
Tanzania
Past Missions Antigua and Barbuda Belize Botswana Burundi Colombia Dominican Republic Egypt El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras India Israel Kenya Madagascar Mauritius Malawi Mexico Mozambique Nepal Palestine Panama Peru Philippines Puerto Rico Romania Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis South Africa Tanzania Turkey Uganda Ukraine Vietnam Zambia Zanzibar
65%
of people with hearing loss are younger than 65.
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In developing nations, fewer than
1 in 40 receive the hearing aids they need.
The core of every mission is care. care
noun, verb /kair/ 1. To sustain and protect 2. Temporary keeping, such as being in the care of a person or organization 3. To experience awareness or empathy sta r ke y h e a r i n g f o u n dat i o n
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Mission: tulkarem, west bank, palestine tel aviv, israel
Tulkarem and Tel Aviv Expanding the West Bank effort, with the help of Harry Connick, Jr.
Building from the tremendous success of the first mission in May 2011, the Starkey Hearing Foundation team returned to Israel and the West Bank for the second West Bank Mission of Peace. Joined by Harry Connick, Jr., the team worked with Palestinians and Israelis to broker understanding—and provide information, care and the gift of hearing to two opposing groups that came together around the mission. Mission recipients were from both Palestine and Israel. Progress brings the future for hearing help, and the future we believe, is now. That goes for hearing technology, and for cultural understanding. The West Bank Missions of Peace have established trust between neighbors divided for generations. They illuminate something simple and beautiful: that the power of hearing brings people together, and can serve as a vehicle for peace.
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The Goal
Cultivate understanding between the people of Israel and Palestine.
What We Did Unite neighbors to give, and receive, the gift of hearing.
February 2012
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Chain Reaction
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Mission
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Cities
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Disparate Cultures
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Special Partners
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Digital Hearing Aids
800
Individual Fittings
Countless 1 Tears Shed, Hugs Exchanged
Culture: the Culture of Communication
r ke ySmith, h e a r i n gPhysicians f o u n dat i o n for 17 special thanks: American Friends of Sheba, Randy Schoenborn, Starkey Canada,sta Kelly Human Rights – Israel/Palestine, Sheba Medical Center, Harry Connick, Jr.
Mission:
The Goal
Make a wish come true.
minneapolis, minnesota
Making Connections in Minnesota The true meaning of bringing people together for the holidays. Three local camera crews were on hand at the Foundation’s Minnesota headquarters to capture the fulfillment of ten-year-old Elaine’s holiday wish. Local radio station 101.3 KDWB had broadcast Elaine’s request for a new hearing aid at the start of the season of giving, and Starkey Hearing Foundation was happy to respond. Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson joined us to play Santa—and Elaine wasn’t alone in receiving the gift of hearing! Many more children’s lives were changed before the tinsel and trees came down in MN.
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What We Did
Transform the lives of children and their families.
special thanks: Adrian Peterson
holiday season 2011 - 2012
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The Goal
Mission:
Make waves—sound waves—in seven cities.
reynosa matamoros san Luis Potisi
tampico
queretaro
ville hermosa
cuautitlan san cristobal
Love Thy Neighbor In 2012, Starkey Hearing Foundation returned twice to Mexico to build on our special partnership. From jade valleys to dusty, impoverished towns—Aztec temples to federal buildings—Mexico is home to more than 113,000,000 people. In January, we were pleased to make our first of many 2012 visits to the United States’ southern neighbor. We visited six cities to spread the gift of hearing. We shook hands and traded hugs. One by one, hearing aids were fit to generations of families; to orphans, teachers, doctors and abuelas. By the time it was all said and done, more than 5,000 hearing aids had been fit to Mexican children and adults in need. But there was much more to be done. The team returned in February, visiting San Cristóbal de las Casas in the Central Highlands region of the state of Chiapas. For three days, children and adults traveled in from the surrounding mountain regions to receive hearing help. Starkey Hearing Foundation’s team was able to fit 1,500 more hearing aids, drying tears of joy and sometimes shedding them ourselves. Packing up at the end of the mission, we reaffirmed one particular goal: come back.
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What We Did
Travel from the northern border to the southern border, helping all who came.
special thanks: Starkey Mexico
January & February 2012
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Mission:
santo domingo, dominican republic
Major League With baseball legend Pedro Martinez’s help, we spread joy in the Dominican Republic. Remote mountain roads led our team into neighborhoods long inhabited by poverty—but also by hope. In past missions to the Dominican Republic, we’d fitted a woman who was 110 years old. We had delivered hearing to a blind girl who’d never touched technology before, and whom we taught to change the battery in her new hearing aid by feel. But every mission is distinct, because the faces that light up hearing their loved ones’ voices for the first times are new. For more than 20 years, Starkey Hearing Foundation has helped expand the hearing care infrastructure of the Dominican Republic with strong partners including FedEx, Mike Wheeler and Justin Osmond. Returning in January, with the help of Major League Baseball legend Pedro Martinez, the team worked tirelessly to fit more than 3,200 hearing aids to city-dwellers and the inhabitants of small villages. When the mission was complete, we took stock of how much we’d accomplished there in the last decade—and realized that, to date, the Foundation has fit more than 18,000 hearing aids to the Dominican people.
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The Goal
Hit it out of the park.
What We Did
Surpass eighteen thousand hearing aids fitted in the DR.
January 2012
special thanks: FedEx, Mike Wheeler, Justin Osmond, Pedro Martinez
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Mission: indianapolis, indiana
The Goal
Light up the scoreboard by helping out at home.
Star-Studded Super Bowl XLVI Mission
Touchdown! Back in the U.S., the team visited Indianapolis.
Starkey Hearing Foundation held its third annual Super Bowl Week Hearing Mission this February, in Indianapolis. Like the Super Bowl itself, the mission was an unforgettable event. By the end of the week, the team had permanently transformed 235 Indianapolis area residents’ lives. This already-excited group was doubly thrilled to see—and hear—famous volunteers including the Indianapolis Colts’ Dwight Freeney and Dallas Clark, the San Diego Chargers’ Tommie Harris, the Chicago Bears’ Matt Forte, Canadian recording artist Justin Hines, and many more. Country legend Garth Brooks made a surprise appearance, working alongside Bill Austin to fit children with state-of-the-art hearing aids. Jim McMahon, Will Witherspoon, Frank Catalanatto, Joe DeLamielleure, Jack Youngblood, Lem Barney, Eric Wood, Andy Levitre and other dedicated Starkey Hearing Foundation friends made this a truly super event. P.S. Because of the awareness created, a second mission to Indiana was required in March to take care of the many additional patients who came forward for help.
Jim McMahon
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special thanks: Garth Brooks, Witherspoon, Frank Catalanatto,
What We Did
Deliver an invaluable gift, during a special weekend.
February 2012 + follow up Mission in march
Joe DeLamielleure
Dallas Clark
Jerome McDougle
sta r keWill y h e a r i n g f o u n dat i o n 2 5 Jim McMahon, Dwight Freeney, Dallas Clark, Tommie Harris, Matt Forte, Justin Hines, Joe DeLamielleure, Jack Youngblood, Lem Barney, Eric Wood, Andy Levitre
Mission: bogota, colombia
Clinton in Colombia Humanitarians rolled up their sleeves to help the fitting team. Fitting our second million hearing aids to people in need by 2020: that is the promise we made when Starkey Hearing Foundation joined the Clinton Global Initiative. In February, Bill and Tani Austin led the team to Colombia for our mission to bring the gift of hearing, with the help of longtime partner Marlee Matlin. Bill Clinton acknowledged the profound impact of the gift of hearing when he came to witness the mission with his own eyes. Moved by the sight of young children, struggling students and glowing mothers—all residents of the city of Bogota, a bustling alpine metropolis that spawned the “magic realism” style of luminary author Gabriel García Márquez—he pitched in. The former President worked with the focus and dedication of all of Starkey Hearing Foundation’s staff, volunteers and supporters. That is the unforgettable sight that the citizens of Bogota carried away from the 2012 Colombia mission; that, and the lifelong gift of hearing.
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The Goal
Transform the capital of Colombia.
What We Did
Bring support, caring and the gift of hearing.
special thanks: President Bill Clinton, Marlee Matlin, Rayovac, Richard Brown, Starkey Colombia
February 2012
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Mission:
The Goal
To reflect caring to the people of Haiti through the gift of hearing.
What We Did
Built a bridge of hope.
cap hatian, haiti port-au-prince, haiti jacmel, haiti
Hello Again Haiti Our fourth successful visit in twelve months.
This small, Caribbean country—occupying the western region of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago—has had its share of challenges. News channels have covered the natural disasters and poverty that have affected its people. Yet not much is known about the disproportionate impact of these disasters on hearing-impaired Haitians. Many of these citizens survived a devastating earthquake to learn that they could no longer hear: their hearing aids, and the hospitals and clinics that might have replaced them, were buried in rubble. That is why Starkey Hearing Foundation has spent so much time Haiti. This spring, we visited again. We partnered with Foundation friends Bill Rancic and World Wide Village to give the gift of hearing to more than 320 people. Bill, Tani and the team also visited Sean Penn’s tent city: a relief operation packed with over 50,000 earthquake victims. There, we actively sought out people in need of hearing care. The additional fittings were just the start of another meaningful partnership, connecting us to the toddlers, families and elderly in need of help. Before leaving for Israel and Palestine, we went on to Cap Hatien for the first time to see hundreds of a new patients—a wonderful conclusion to our fourth visit to Haiti in the past year.
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February 2012
special thanks: B ill Rancic, World Wide Village
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Mission:
kilgali, rwanda
Helping Hands, Beaming Faces An American father watched his youngest child master the art of individual fittings in Rwanda. This wasn’t our first visit to Rwanda, a temperate African country located a few degrees south of the equator. But it was the first time we were joined there by Chris Ordway, a successful American businessman who set aside corporate pursuits and moved to Rwanda to alleviate poverty through microenterprise development. And it was the first time Lucy Ordway, the youngest of Chris’s three daughters, ever fit anyone with a hearing aid. The team set up at Kigali Independent University on an uncharacteristically hot day. Soon, hearing-impaired Rwandans were streaming onto the campus. If you’ve visited our website to view a hearing mission video, you’re aware of the patient-volunteer connection: the awe and emotion both people experience when the gift of hearing alters a life. This mission was no different. One patient, a blind woman who’d traveled for a day and a half to reach us, dropped her walking cane as the sounds of our voices reached her. She jumped from her seat and danced, blessing us in her native tongue. Experiencing that intense connection, little Lucy Ordway glowed. Her joy brought tears to the eyes of many patients as she worked alongside Bill and Tani Austin. But perhaps the proudest person onsite that day was Lucy’s father, who fought tears himself, watching his daughter change so many lives.
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The Goal
Return to fit new patients and provide follow up care for those previously fitted.
What We Did
Touch the lives of Rwandans, all part of our extended African family.
March 2012
special thanks: Anna Reed and Bridge2Rwanda; Rwanda Ministry of Health
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Mission:
The Goal
Enable Ugandan women and children to hear the world.
gulu, uganda kampala, uganda
Barbara Bush at St. Monica’s School A former First Daughter, and Pros for Africa, joined us to advance the Uganda mission. Building on the success of our visit in March 2011, Starkey Hearing Foundation returned to Uganda one year later, starting with six days in Kampala. With the help of old friends—Dennis and Leslie Hansen, Sandi Young, Hope Medical Clinic, and the Uganda Revenue authority—and a new partner, Global Health Corps., the team worked tirelessly to fit more than 4,000 hearing aids. The Ugandan people have the most beautiful ability to convey their emotions through facial expression. Children’s eyes danced as the world of hearing opened to them, and then their bodies danced for joy with a renewed sense of hope. Who needs music when you have the sounds of life? The final day in Kampala was reserved for follow-up care for those we helped last year. It was amazing to see the progress they have made and the tangible benefits the gift of hearing is bringing to their lives.
special 3 2 sta rthanks: ke y h e a r i n gDennis fo u n datand i o n Leslie Hansen; Sandi Young; Hope for the City
What We Did
Help thousands, who through no fault of their own were cut off from life because of hearing loss.
March 2012
Gulu, the economic capital of Northern Uganda and the next stop on our journey, is home to commerce, an airport, and St. Monica’s school, a haven for women and children in need. There, they learn the confidence and skills to survive and thrive. We met up with Global Health Corps founder and CEO Barbara Bush and volunteers from Pros for Africa. The Pros were great and Barbara really impressed us by working into the night with Bill Austin. Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, an extraordinary Starkey Hearing Foundation partner who earned the 2007 CNN Hero’s Award for her work, directs the school. She made it possible for our team and devoted volunteers to change the lives of thousands of Ugandans. The visit began with a celebration of the new playground we helped build at the school. Once the ribbon was cut, we rolled up our sleeves and went to work. Side by side, the Starkey Hearing Foundation team and our partners worked to fit hearing impaired victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army. As we fitted the group with hearing aids, they opened up to us. The stories of the violence and deprivation were devastating; but even more powerful was their courage and strength. Eyes widened and laughter burst from their lips, as the ability to hear was returned to them. The sun traversed its path, and at day’s end everyone on the Uganda mission felt humbled and hopeful: united by the gift of hearing.
special thanks: Sister Rosemary; Barbara Bush and Global Health Corps.; Pros for Africa: sta r ke y h e Tommie a r i n g f o u nHarris, dat i o n 3 3 Santonio Holmes, Quinton Carter, Stockar McDougle, Jerome McDougle
Mission:
The Goal
Transform lives in this coastal country.
mwanza, tanzania arusha, tanzania Loiborsoit, tanzania
Return to Tanzania Back in Tanzania, we had help from longtime Foundation friends. Devoted Starkey Hearing Foundation friend Doug Pitt (named Goodwill Ambassador of the Republic of Tanzania by President Jakaya Kikwetelast year) coached another supporter, Randy Hogan, through his first fitting this spring. Both men’s families pitched in—and in no time, the Hogans were every bit as much “pros” as our other Tanzania mission partners: Pros for Africa. Longtime friends Janet Anderson, Dennis and Leslie Hansen, and the Brian Highfill family also joined the Starkey Hearing Foundation team. We spent the week working together in Arusha and Mwanza to change countless lives through the gift of hearing before heading to a Maasai village near Loiborsoit. In Loiborsoit, we partnered with Pitt, Hogan and John Bongiorno of World Serve International on a water-drilling project to construct a well to serve 2,000 people in the area. The Maasai were so overjoyed to receive the gifts of hearing and water. They expressed their gratitude by making Founder Bill Austin an elder of their tribe and offering him a cow: a gift valued above all, representing the Maasai’s highest expression of regard and solidarity. The mission team danced with the villagers in celebration of bonds formed that no distances will break.
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What We Did
Introduce the sounds of joy to 200 Tanzanian people.
March 2012
special thanks: Randy Hogan Family & Pentair Foundation; Doug Pitt Family & WorldServe sta r ke y h e a r iInternational n g f o u n dat i o n 3 5
special Highfill Family and AccuQuest; Janet Anderson; Dennis and Leslie Hansen 3 6 sta rthanks: ke y h e a r i n Brian g fo u n dat ion
special thanks: Sandi Young; Pros for Africa: Larry Fitzgerald Jr., Tommie Harris, sta Greg r ke y hJennings, e a r i n g f o u nSantonio dat i o n 3 7 Holmes, Stockar McDougle, Jerome McDougle, and Chase Daniel
Nobody but you can protect your hearing.
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listen carefully. May 1st marks the start of Better Hearing Month. To celebrate, we’re launching Listen Carefully Goes to School and the Vow to Act initiative, involving 10,000 teachers in five of America’s most musical cities: Atlanta, Nashville, Los Angeles, Austin, Oakland and Minneapolis. The Listen Carefully movement, initiated by Starkey Hearing Foundation, is a hearing protection program that uses sound, music and education to raise awareness and reverse the trend of noise induced hearing loss among teens in the U.S. and beyond. Hearing loss is linked to slower language development, poorer performance in school and significantly lower self esteem. More than 80% of what we learn from birth onwards is through hearing. Listen Carefully partners with celebrities in many fields to increase impact. We believe that hearing is the foundation for learning and human connection. And we believe that together, we can change the world. To learn more, visit www.StarkeyHearingFoundation.org.
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a silent phenomenon. It’s not often discussed, but 1 in 5 American teenagers has hearing loss. We’re losing our hearing faster, today, than our parents or grandparents did. Get informed. Protecting your hearing is crucial. And easy.
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reverse the trend. It’s as simple as this: Turn down the volume on your iPod. Take foam earplugs to that loud concert, or wear them while you mow the lawn. Turn your head away from your friend’s ear while you shout at the quarterback fumbling the ball. Like Miley Cyrus and Will.i.am, you can make a vow to act and spread the word.
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what?
A sophisticated instrument. Your ears are remarkably sophisticated organs. They can detect the low rumble of distant thunder, the high-pitched chirps of birds, and the complex sounds of human speech. They can tell your brain where the faintest rustle or quietest whisper is coming from.
how?
Internal communication. Your ears collect sound waves, process and amplify them, and then “talk” to the brain like one computer talks to another. If a sound occurs on your right, it will arrive in your right ear a fraction of a second sooner than it reaches your left ear. It will sound a little louder to your right ear, too. Although you might not notice these tiny differences from ear to ear, they allow your brain to determine the precise location of that sound.
Diagram Source: Chittka L, Brockmann A (2005) Perception Space—The Final Frontier.
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ossicles tiny bones that vibrate to amplify sound waves
semicircular canals
stapes (stirrup) incus (anvil)
fluid-filled structures in the inner ear that detect movement, and help you balance
malleus (hammer)
auditory nerve a bundle of cells that carry signals from the sensory fibers to the brain
cilia hair-like sensory fibers that sway in response to sound waves, transmitting electrical signals to the brain
eardrum a taut, circular piece of skin that vibrates when hit by sound and moves the bones of the inner ear
auditory canal an open passage through which sound waves travel to the middle ear
eustachian tube
cochlea
a passageway that connects the ear to the back of the nose to maintain equal air pressure on both sides of the eardrum
the coiled, fluidfilled structure of the inner ear that contains the cilia (sensory cells for hearing)
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sophie’s story. In December 1999, Sophie Kaye woke to a loud buzzing sound. Her ability to hear then changed forever. But in its place, a vow to act was created and a personal mission born. Here’s the story Sophie, now a freshman at Yale, has shared: I woke up one morning when I was 7 years old to find that most of my hearing had disappeared. One day, I could hear birds chirping and the radio playing. The next day, I had to read my best friend’s lips to figure out what she was saying. At first, my biggest fears were changes in life as I knew it. Would teachers feel I was too much trouble? Would I lose my friends? As I got older, I began to realize that my hearing loss had benefits. One substantial benefit was becoming the national SpokesChild for the National Organization for Hearing Research Foundation (NOHR). It made me aware of my potential as an influential leader. When I was twelve, NOHR’s president took me to Washington, D.C. with her to share the story of my hearing loss with more than a dozen 44
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congresspeople and senators. I persuaded them that deafness research is crucial. Another immense impact of my hearing loss was that it forced me to appreciate the beauty of sound. Many people take sound for granted. Only after you lose your hearing do you grow excited when you are able to hear music being played in the background of your favorite restaurant. This inspired me to establish my organization, Sophie’s SoundCheck. Our mission is to educate teens and tweens about Noise-Induced Hearing Loss so that we can start changing individual behaviors to better protect people’s hearing. Discover your own power—the power of using your unique voice to spread the word.
fact:
when?
Exposure to excessive, loud noise causes hearing loss. Loud sound destroys cilia (sensory cells in the inner ear). And once 25% to 30% of these cells disappear, you start losing the ability to perceive sound. Cilia cannot recover from damage.
No time like the present. With the silent phenomenon of hearing loss sweeping the nation, there is no better time to make a vow to act. Take five seconds and listen right now. You might hear city traffic, cell phone ringtones, loud chatter, school bells, lawn mowers, or other noises. These everyday sounds influence hearing in ways that you may not have considered. So here are the facts, to absorb and pass along:
fact: Noise above 85 decibels (dB) can cause hearing damage. How to gauge? Use the chart below to learn just how loud everyday sounds can be. 150 dB dangerous decibels (120-150 dB)
decibels
120 dB
loud to extremely loud (80-119 dB)
90 dB
60 dB safe to moderate (0-79 dB)
30 dB
0 dB quiet room 40 dB
rainfall 50 dB
conversation 60 dB
traffic 70 dB
lawn mower 90 dB
chainsaw jackhammer 100 dB
105 dB
rock concert 120 dB
fireworks 125 dB
jet takeoff 140 dB
everyday noises
fact:
fact:
It’s safe to listen to your iPod at 80% volume for up to 90 minutes a day. Experts recommend no more than that. How to gauge? Your earbuds or headphones are too loud if you can’t understand someone who is talking to you, in a normal speaking voice, from an arm’s length away.
If you vow to protect your own hearing, and to inform your friends, you will start a ripple of change that can reverse the widespread trend of noise-induced hearing loss.
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where? Start at home.
In most American homes, someone in the family is exposed to, or exposing others to, risky noise levels. Habits are hard to break—but with persistence and creativity, we can reach loved ones of every age. Children, for instance, respond to examples. So spread plastic wrap over the opening of a large bowl, and sprinkle a teaspoon of rice grains over it. Set the bowl on a coffee table and ask the child to whisper a secret to it. This won’t cause a reaction in the rice, though it may evoke giggles from the child. Next, place your hands directly above the wrap and clap them loudly. The rice will jump! The child may too. Explain that this is how our eardrums react to loud noises—like blenders, motorcycles and music played at maximum volume—that, given prolonged exposure, can damage the tiny fibers (cilia) that allow us to hear. If the friend or family member is a teenager, it may suffice to explain that the “ringing” in one’s ears after a loud concert is, literally, the tragic sound of cilia dying. Damaged cilia mistakenly continue to send sound signals to the auditory nerves, and our brains interpret those signals as a ringing sound. Making people aware of their own role in reducing Noise Induced Hearing Loss, at first, takes courage; once you get the hang of it, it’s addictive. And you can always entice loved ones to protect themselves with a gift: earplugs. Soon, you’ll find yourself spreading the word at work, a café, a friend’s place, or on the phone.
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why?
Because we care. In 1984, Starkey Hearing Foundation was established with the simple premise, “So the World May Hear.” Thousands of volunteers and sponsors around the world enable the Foundation to deliver more than 100,000 hearing aids annually in countries stretching from the United States to Vietnam. With each hearing mission, our volunteers teach entire communities about hearing care. They return children to their families—children who had been isolated by their hearing impairment; sent miles away from home, to live in schools for the deaf. It’s amazing what a little understanding and support can do. But you don’t have to travel the world with Starkey Hearing Foundation to make a difference. You are an important member of the “Because We Care” team because you understand the transformative and interconnecting power of caring. You can do something every day to make life brighter for those you touch.
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More reasons to care for your ears, lest you get bowled over—literally—by an ear infection!
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balance. Everybody’s buzzing about balance these days: work/life, friends/family, self/others. Without balance, we stagger and fall. The room spins, and everything feels wrong. But what is balance, at its most basic level? How do we interpret our physical environment to function normally? With our ears, of course. Inside each of your ears are three semicircular canals. These fluid-filled loops, positioned roughly at right angles to each other, contain the teardropshaped, gell-filled cupulas that sit atop your cilia. From the cilia, long, threadlike fibers—your stereocilia—extend into the gel. When you move your head, fluid inside your semicircular canals moves, bending the cupulas and tilting the stereocilia. Each tilt sparks a signal that travels to the brain, conveying the movement and position of your head. Between the semicircular canals and the cochlea lie the otolithic organs, which tell your brain about your body’s movement, and calculate the position of your head with respect to gravity. Working together, the otolithic organs and semicircular canals in your ears register whether you are sitting up, leaning, reclining, or moving. Then your brain receives, interprets, and processes the information to help control your balance.
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Pay attention to noise in your workplace. If you can’t get away from loud sounds, wear ear protection.
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Lower the volume of your television, stereo and mp3 player.
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Be careful not to turn up your car stereo volume too loudly.
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Wear custom noise filters or earplugs if you go to concerts or nightclubs. Take a break so your ears can rest, and don’t stand near loudspeakers.
care. To protect your ears, make a promise to yourself to:
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Wear headphones or earplugs for outstanding noise protection when home improvement projects involve drills, lawnmowers, etc.
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Don’t use cotton wool to protect your ears. Doing so may push wax down further and cause a wax block to develop.
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Don’t put fingers, cotton swabs or towels in your ears. These can damage the canal lining and push wax down your ear canal causing an obstruction.
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Avoid washing with contaminated water to prevent ear infections.
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Share what you know with friends, family and colleagues to help them protect their hearing too.
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Robbie Wilde, a.k.a. thatDEAFdj, feels the music.
Firsthand
Robbie Wilde Ask Robbie Wilde, a.k.a. thatDEAFdj, why musicians like Cee Lo Green praise him, and he’ll tell you a story of strength.
Have you always loved music? My father
Robbie was born at a time when less was known about hearing impairment. For the first ten years of his life, his deafness went undiagnosed. Teachers gave him failing grades, not realizing that he couldn’t hear. His family didn’t understand his behavior. Finally, an astute doctor identified the issue—hearing impairment. Robbie recalls his mother sitting in the hospital waiting room, crying, while he hugged her. So how did he overcome this challenging start?
As a Starkey Hearing Foundation supporter, you know the stories of children isolated by their deafness. Thoughts? Being hearing impaired, deaf, blind,
You listen without hearing. How? I feel the music, figuratively and literally, through sight and touch. I watch the equipment, turntables and dance floor closely—and as the bass moves the DJ booth, the vibrations keep me tuned in to what the crowd is hearing.
You’re known around the globe. Your documentary made the top 5 most popular videos on rapper 50 Cent’s website. How? I made the decision that this was going to be my fulltime career. I spent days without food, slept in my car, opened shows for free. Looking back makes me realize how much I’ve accomplished through my sacrifices. It’s a great feeling. I’m still striving for more.
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was a music fanatic. He was onstage with George Benson at 20 years old, winning dance competitions. My mother knew music was my passion before I was born. At 8 months pregnant, she’d go dancing with my father and feel me dancing in utero.
missing a hand, a foot, a leg, is not something that should be hidden from society. A disability doesn’t mean one should be viewed as unable to accomplish. The hearing and non-hearing communities must work together. These children deserve it. I am just one example that nothing is impossible. The world needs to “HEAR” everyone.
Pick a destination for a Starkey Hearing Mission. I can’t choose; they’re all amazing opportunities. Hope is given, the gift of hearing is given, and the Starkey Hearing Foundation gives those gifts. The world needs more people like them.
Closing thoughts? I don’t want to be looked at as a deaf kid trying to DJ, but a great DJ who happens to be deaf. I hope that my story gets out there and truly inspires those who have the odds stacked against them. Believe in yourself, and there is no limit to what you can do. On a recent trip to Minneapolis, Robbie was fitted with Starkey Absolute Power RICs, which have greatly improved his hearing.
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Sounds Good Can you identify that sound? The pop
as the amp comes alive. The crackle and hum of the band gearing up: an electric undercurrent before the music starts. The amp a band uses is just one type of audio amplifier. Amps are everywhere; in your laptop, your television, your iPod—and your ears. When sounds vibrate your eardrums, the tiny bones of your middle ears move in response. The malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup) work together to amplify every sound
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that you hear. And for those who listen carefully, these internal amps are set at the perfect level to enhance sounds as slight as a breeze rustling the leaves. So the next time you hear your favorite song through an amp, remember: you’re carrying around even more sophisticated machinery. Protect it by wearing earplugs to concerts, where sound is cranked up to levels as high as 140 dB—a major threat to your ears.
listen carefully.
Music: we want you to be able to hear it. The sounds of a guitar. The lyrics to your favorite song.
The majority of teen hearing loss can be prevented. Join the movement at www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org
One in 5 teenagers has hearing loss due to high-volume sounds in daily life. Like the blare of car horns. Or the music pumping through your headphones. You can’t control the volume of the world around you, of course. But you can lower the volume of your headphones. It’s such a simple thing to do. You’ll save your hearing. Your hearing is fragile. So don’t listen loudly. Listen carefully.
Protect your hearing. Lower the volume.
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so the world may hear
RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW, BEFORE THEY SELL OUT! Call 866-354-3254 or visit StarkeyHearingFoundation.org