Johnson City
CHAMPIONS ANNA BLAKE AND REECE TOWNSEND
SARAH WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND WAITING TO HEAR. SARAH, SHERRY, AND SHANNON BALL
HearStrong Foundation Champions EVENT COVERED BY CASEY KEELEY
On Friday, January 10, 2020, the HearStrong foundation sought to recognize four young people local to the Tri-Cities who have suffered from hearing loss and regained the sense by receiving cochlear implants. Hosted at the Carnegie hotel and officiated by Shannon Ball, director and co-founder of Waiting to Hear, the “HearStrong Champions” were awarded with a plaque, a medal, and a T-shirt to recognize the obstacles they have overcome regarding their loss of hearing. After Sarah Ball lost her hearing at age two, her parents founded Waiting to Hear, an organization that has created programs to increase awareness of cochlear implants. This was only the beginning of the road for the family, as her mother, Sherry, was diagnosed with hearing loss earlier in 2019. All proceeds from the programs go toward the funding of more programs that benefit the hard of hearing youth in the region. Less than 7% of those who can benefit from cochlear implants actually receive them. The medical devices are surgically implanted to stimulate the auditory nerve directly. In this way they are different from hearing aids, which serve to amplify sound without a surgical procedure. In addition to the other awards, the champions Reece Townsend, Anna Blake, Sarah Ball, and Hanna Brewer will be gifting the person of their choice with cochlear implants. Now nine years old, Sarah Ball chose her mother Sherry to be the recipient of the gift.
HANNAH BREWER AND ANNA BLAKE
THE BLAKE FAMILY
THE BREWER FAMILY
THE TOWNSEND FAMILY
