Justin
Osmond's
Peru Mission
Each
year the Starkey Hearing Foundation provides thousands of hearing aids
to needy individuals,
completely free of charge. Through donations of time, money, products
and materials, this international
outreach program has improved countless lives with better hearing. Recent
missions have
provided much-needed hearing instruments to children in countries around
the world.
This trip Justin was able to see the works of the foundation in action
in Peru.
Founded in 1973, the Hearing Foundation is dedicated to
helping hearing-impaired people worldwide. |
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The mission of the Foundation is to promote hearing health
awareness; and to provide hearing aids, hearing aid batteries, and
other hearing care products to needy persons; and to support and
conduct research and education in hearing; and to fulfill such other
charitable purposes as the Board of Directors of the Corporation
deems appropriate. |
Each year, the Hearing Foundation helps and supports around 100
hearing
missions a year and provide more than 20,000 hearing aids to
needy individuals, completely free of charge.
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Through donations of time, money, products and materials, this
international outreach program has improved countless lives with
better hearing. Recent
missions have provided much-needed hearing instruments to children
in countries around the world. |
|
Due to the demand of helping the hearing impaired all across the
world, we have volunteers called ‘Hear Corps’ that donate their
time, energy, and efforts in helping The Hearing Foundation reach
their objective and goal… “So the World May Hear.” |
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One recent mission took place in Peru during November 19 – 26.
The name of this philanthropic event was “Para Que El Peru Oiga,” which
translates to “So Peru May Hear.” |
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It was an experience never to be forgotten.
It was the continuation of a commitment made by William F.
Austin last year to the Peruvian people, after he was explained that
several other children needed his help in areas that were far away
from Lima: “I
will come back and go to them if they can’t come to me!” |
From left to right:
Top:
David Randall, Byron Randall, Marco Rodriguez,
Howard Hait, Brook McQuown, Tani Austin, Bill Austin
Bottom:
Lois Randall, Justin Osmond, Melissa Bamberg,
Jeanette Hait, Cindy Taylor, Carla Rondeau
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There was a team of 15 Hear Corp Volunteers representing The Hearing
Foundation who volunteered their time, energy, skills, and money to
providing the gift of hearing towards the hearing impaired children
all across Peru.
Bill Austin (founder) along with his wife Tani were
numbered among the volunteers who donated their time in this hearing
international outreach program. |
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They first started in Lima and Ica where 78 kids were helped.
Their next stop was in Arequipa where they more than
doubled their efforts to 77 kids.
They then headed to Cusco where they had a warm welcome
from the hearing impaired families.
The Hear Corps delivered to 91 patients in this region.
Afterwards, the next destination was in Chiclayo where 84
kids were provided with the gift of better hearing.
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The last resort was in Trujillo where
50 kids were gifted with new hearing aids.
There were 225 registered children signed up for free hearing
aids, but as word got around that
The Hearing Foundation were present, there were 155 walk ins.
This brought the total # of kids to 380 kids and 736
hearing aids.
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Each patient was provided with a
“Hear Kit” which includes:
-
Hearing Aid
-
Year supply of Batteries
-
Educational Booklet
-
Cleaning Tools
-
Pouch
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 There were
many uplifting stories that occurred while The Hearing Foundation
was in Peru. There
was one experience that opened our eyes and softened our hearts as
we realized the impact that the gift of hearing provides. One
particular individual from Chiclayo was on the threshold
of getting layed off from his job at the local airport due to his
hearing loss. He
heard that we were in town, and came in.
When we provided him with new digital CICs, he started to
cry tears of joy. His
countenance showed that he had entered a new hearing phase in
life. The next
day, we saw him at the airport going about his daily job.
He came to us and with a smile expressed his gratitude for
the gift of better hearing.
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Another learning experience that gave us a good insight on how
precious the gift of hearing really is was due to a 7 year old girl
whose communication gap was disintegrated between her and the
family. After this young girl was fitted with better hearing, her
parents were so proud and uplifted.
They spoke highly of her as though she were their ‘Pride & Joy.’
They expressed their gratitude on how blessed their daughter is now
since she was provided with an ‘opportunity’ to get a good
education, have a good job, grow, expand, hear, and to reach her
greatest potential in life.
This was brought to our attention that by providing the gift of
hearing, it also generates opportunities to arise for that
particular child who otherwise would not have been privilege to do
so. |
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After the parents expressed their deep appreciation for helping
their daughter, the mother turned and asked The Hearing Foundation
with a sincere heart,
“We now see the potential that the gift of hearing can provide for
the hearing impaired.
We were wondering if there was any way possible that you could take
our daughter back to America so she could have more opportunities to
reach her greatest aspirations in life.”
Truly one can see that the gift of better hearing not only
draws families closer together but that opportunities are provided
and nothing becomes impossible to those who have been impacted in
some small way. |
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The organization of this mission was done through the
collaboration of several parties:
Jeanette & Howard Haiti were the platinum HearO Angel sponsors of
this event. Thanks to
their generous contribution, hundreds of Peruvian families were
brought closer together by the gift of sound.
Marco Rodriguez along with his staff served
as the local response team as they provided the clinical testing,
impressions, and follow-up care.
Clinically they identified 45% with a severe hearing loss, 25%
with a moderate hearing loss, and 15% with a mild hearing loss.
Furthermore, 7% of the candidates received custom ITE’s and
3% were recipients to a bone conduction headband.
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The Hearing Foundation provided the products,
equipment, and staff to do the on-site hearing aid fittings,
instamolds, and counseling.
In addition to its
philanthropic endeavors, the Foundation is committed to providing
support and sponsorship of a number of industry-level public
awareness campaigns.
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“It’s important for us to help
the children because they’re the future of the world – and if we
neglect them, we won’t have a good one.
This is a very special thing that we do for them, something they’ll
always remember us for.
Our reward is in the faces and smiles of each person as we help them
hear again.
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This is the best work we could ever do because it’s helping people…
and that’s what life is all about.
We truly live through what we give – we live on into the
future through our gifts back into our community and to humanity.” |
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