More than 500 people left the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Sophia having restored hearing, with hearing aids that were distributed by the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
The Department of Public Information/ Government Information Agency (GINA) was in Sophia and witnessed the excitement and joy from some of the beneficiary’s on receiving their hearing aids.
Some of the differently-able beneficiaries
“It is nice now that I can hear properly because I can hear things I never heard before now I can get to listen music more better. It’s so nice to be a better person. I couldn’t hear properly. When persons call me, I don’t hear, I can’t hear them and they get angry with me,” Nine-year-old, Akayla Ferrier of the Kuru Kururu Primary School told DPI/GINA that the hearing aid which she received is practically giving her a new lease on life since she would be able to enjoy those things she never had the chance to.
Akayla’s father, Askari Farrier said that she lost her hearing after a simple surgical was done resulting in Akayla losing 40 per cent of hearing in her left ear. “There was an experiment, and it involved a pea she put one of that in the ear and it got stuck so we went to the hospital so they had to do a surgery to get it out.”
“It makes you perfect back in life, so you can hear what was missing all your life so by getting a new hearing aid now from this company It’s very very auspicious for me and maybe all other patient will have that same thing.” DevendraBudhoo explained.
Budhoo who had suffered from hearing loss for the past five years said that during that time communicating with other persons was a challenge. With his pair of hearing aids which he received, he said that his quality of life has been improved.
Starkey Hearing foundation started its work in Guyana after First Lady, Sandra Granger advocated improved hearing health. Earlier in 2017, the foundation conducted audiograms on patients with hearing disabilities with the intent to later provide them with hearing aids once a problem has been detected.
On February 27, 2017, the hearing foundation partnered with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the Ministry of Public Health’s Audiology Department along with the First Lady to provide hearing aids to children with hearing disabilities across Guyana. It has been recognised that such a device can cost an individual up to $65,000 for each side of a hearing aid.