Facing the Music

By Joe Mussomeli

Every family has holiday traditions—ours is to visit New York City. For the past five years, my mom, dad, and brother, Alex, have committed a single hour drive to experience the magic of the greatest city in the world during Christmas time. When we arrive each December, Alex and I are in awe of the magical sight of neon Christmas lights covering Radio City and the giant tree in Rockefeller Center. Despite our fascination with the city’s holiday decor, nothing we see outside compares to the highlight of our annual tradition, attending a musical performance on Broadway.

Our first musical, Annie, was an incredible experience for our family, but it was difficult for Alex. Born with a hearing loss, Alex uses a hearing aid and cochlear implant. Though his devices have greatly helped him over the years, there are some situations where their benefits are limited. While watching  Annie, Alex had trouble understanding some of the lines that the actors were saying, missing every few words spoken. As a result, he couldn’t grasp the full context of the story or make sense of the audience’s reactions. Whenever the audience laughed, Alex would laugh along with them. He laughed knowing that he had missed a word, had lost a sentence, and didn’t catch the joke.

Alex followed this copycat formula for the next few Broadway plays we attended. When we saw The Lion King, he was amazed by the costumes and the bright lights, but he couldn’t hear Timon and Pumbaa singing “Hakuna Matata.” The beautiful music in Aladdin delighted Alex, but he didn’t pick up on Jafar calling Aladdin a “diamond in the rough.” After we saw Aladdin, I asked Alex if he enjoyed the musical. He told me that he did, but felt as if viewing the show was like trying to complete a project without all the tools. For Alex, the musical was a puzzle and he had lost a few pieces while assembling the final product.

Last December, my family and I watched our newest musical, Dear Evan Hansen, and it was Alex’s favorite so far. We arrived at the theater happy to know there was  a closed captioning option for guests with hearing loss. Weeks before, my parents had called the captioning company that provides services for Broadway musicals and reserved a closed captioning device for Alex. He was given a small tablet and was told that the actors’ lines would appear on the tablet as they were spoken. Minutes later, the musical began, and Alex was just as invested in the show as the rest of the audience. Now, he could understand everything that was happening on stage! It was an enlightening experience for him. He understood every sentence, took in every word, and laughed at every joke, and not for the sake of laughing along to fit in, but because he got the joke. When we finished the musical I turned to Alex and asked him if he liked it. He replied with three words: “I loved it.” Finally, Alex had completed his puzzle with ease.

Joe Mussomeli is a 10th-grade student who lives in Westport, CT. His younger brother, Alex, has been featured in Hearing Health magazine and is a participant in HHF’s “Faces of Hearing Loss” campaign.

HHF Maintains 4-Star Charity Navigator Rating and Consumer Reports “Best Charities” Distinction

By Gina Russo

Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) concludes our 60th anniversary year of groundbreaking hearing and balance research with a third consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator and a third consecutive designation as a “Best Charity for Your Donation” by Consumer Reports.

HHF’s mission is to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure hearing loss through innovative research. The organization also promotes hearing health through education and awareness programs. HHF funded the discoveries that certain animals are capable of restoring their hearing once deafened, and now works toward replicating this phenomenon in people, while also investigating new treatments and cures for other hearing and balance conditions like tinnitus, Ménière's disease, and auditory processing disorder (APD).

Consistent accolades from Charity Navigator and Consumer Reports affirm HHF’s life-changing work is carried out with financial efficiency, accountability, and transparency. HHF’s Board of Directors and the organization’s endowment cover all administrative expenses, so donations from generous supporters fully fund hearing loss research and awareness.

Charity Navigator’s 4-star rating, its highest possible, signifies that HHF executes our mission in the most responsible way. The score considers program, administrative, and fundraising expenses, fundraising efficiency, Board policies, and the disclosure of financial records. Fewer than 25% of the 9,000+ nonprofits evaluated by Charity Navigator have received three or more consecutive 4-star ratings.

Consumer Reports’ annual list of the “Best Charities for Your Donation” aggregates data from Charity Navigator along with CharityWatch and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance to identify organizations most worthy of donors’ support. This year, HHF is the only hearing loss focused charity to earn a placement on the Consumer Reports roster.

As HHF enters our seventh decade of funding critical hearing and balance research, we express our gratitude to those who have given their time and financial resources in pursuit of new treatments and cures. We’re thankful to have your support in our efforts to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans with hearing loss.

If you haven’t yet, and are able to give, please consider an end-of-year donation with confidence HHF will work diligently to ensure your contribution matters.

HHF Maintains 4-Star Charity Navigator Rating and Consumer Reports “Best Charities” Distinction

By Gina Russo

Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) concludes our 60th anniversary year of groundbreaking hearing and balance research with a third consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator and a third consecutive designation as a “Best Charity for Your Donation” by Consumer Reports.

HHF’s mission is to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure hearing loss through innovative research. The organization also promotes hearing health through education and awareness programs. HHF funded the discoveries that certain animals are capable of restoring their hearing once deafened, and now works toward replicating this phenomenon in people, while also investigating new treatments and cures for other hearing and balance conditions like tinnitus, Ménière's disease, and auditory processing disorder (APD).

Consistent accolades from Charity Navigator and Consumer Reports affirm HHF’s life-changing work is carried out with financial efficiency, accountability, and transparency. HHF’s Board of Directors and the organization’s endowment cover all administrative expenses, so donations from generous supporters fully fund hearing loss research and awareness.

Charity Navigator’s 4-star rating, its highest possible, signifies that HHF executes our mission in the most responsible way. The score considers program, administrative, and fundraising expenses, fundraising efficiency, Board policies, and the disclosure of financial records. Fewer than 25% of the 9,000+ nonprofits evaluated by Charity Navigator have received three or more consecutive 4-star ratings.

Consumer Reports’ annual list of the “Best Charities for Your Donation” aggregates data from Charity Navigator along with Charity Watch and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance to identify organizations most worthy of donors’ support. This year, HHF is the only hearing loss focused charity to earn a placement on the Consumer Reports roster.

As HHF enters our seventh decade of funding critical hearing and balance research, we express our gratitude to those who have given their time and financial resources in pursuit of new treatments and cures. We’re thankful to have your support in our efforts to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans with hearing loss.

If you haven’t yet, and are able to give, please consider an end-of-year donation with confidence HHF will work diligently to ensure your contribution matters.

How to Create a Healthy Hearing Environment for Children

By Alyson McBryde

“How many times do I have to repeat myself?” If you’re a parent or guardian, chances are you’ve said this to your child before. Indeed, a part of parenting is repeating yourself―but what if it becomes part of a bigger issue?

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated “1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound in noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars, and sporting events.”

The WHO indicates “unsafe levels of sound can be, for example, exposure to in excess of 85 decibels (dB) for eight hours of 100 dB for 15 minutes.” Exposure to dangerously loud sounds could damage the sensitive structures of our inner ear and lead to permanent hearing loss. Here’s the thing about noise-induced hearing loss: it is 100% preventable.  

As a parent or guardian, you can implement fun and effective hearing loss prevention activities and strategies like these:

Lead a Learning Experience
Look for science videos and activities that demonstrate how sound, the ear, and hearing work. Great examples include Hearing Health Foundation (HHF)’s interactive, captioned video, Kids Health, and The Magic School Bus.

Watch Out for Noisy Toys
A study on sounds emitted by children’s toys found “the average sound levels of the various toys were 106.8 dB measured at a point nearest the sound source,” according to ASHA. Use a decibel-measuring app to check out your kids’ toys before they play.

Limit Time with Electronics
NBC News reports: “Each new generation of teenagers has found a new technology to blast music – from the bulky headphones of the 1960s to the handheld Sony Walkmans of the 1980s. Today’s young people are listening longer, more than twice as long as previous generations.” Remember when our elders told us to “go outside and play”? Encourage your kids to do the same.

Turn Down the Volume
Enforce the 60-60 rule: Allow your child to listen at 60% volume for 60 minutes at a time. Look into apps that allow you to set parental controls on volume levels and encourage your kids to take a break from nonstop sound! 

Beware of Noise Levels at Live Events
Did you know a live ballgame can reach 120 decibels? Live sporting events can be extremely dangerous for little ears. The same goes for live music shows. Bring along a pair of foam or custom-made earplugs!

Keep Those Little Ears Warm
If you live in a place with cold winters, make sure you kids have earmuffs or hats that cover their ears. Cold air may affect hearing with exostosis, known as “surfer’s ear,” which happens when abnormal bone growths interfere with the auditory process.

Swim Safely
During the summer, while attending swim lessons, or on vacation, protect your kids’ ears with swim plugs. Swim plugs help to prevent swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa, caused by bacteria inside the ear canal, which can lead to trouble hearing.

Treat Ear Infections Immediately
Kids experience ear infections far more regularly than adults due to the size and positioning of their Eustachian tubes. Seeking immediate treatment from an ear-nose-throat (ENT) specialist for otitis media―ear infections―could help prevent hearing loss in kids.

Invest in Earplugs
Whether they are made of generic foam or are custom-molded to fit in their ears, earplugs are a great barrier between little ears and dangerous levels of sound. Carry a pair wherever you go―you never know when you may need them! 

Get Their Hearing Tested
Hearing health should be treated no differently than any other part of your kids’ overall health. In the same way your kids get a full physical and vision test annually, build a hearing test into the routine! Hearing tests keep track of your kids’ hearing abilities, and if anything changes, your hearing health professional can help find a solution.

Alyson McBryde leads the customer success team for HearStore.

You Are the Reason

By Elizabeth Keithley, Ph.D.

Your partnership with Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) is fundamental to new treatments and cures for hearing and balance conditions.

I am so grateful you are part of our mission—which, as a hearing scientist, I have always embraced.

Support from you creates new possibilities for people of all ages, including brothers Anthony, Andersen, and Ayden, all born with bilateral hearing loss.

The boys wear hearing aids and are happy, social, and active students in a mainstream school.

They’re fortunate to have a mother who sacrifices for their hearing health, including five-hour round trip drives to their audiologist.

I am pleased to have witnessed so much extraordinary work funded by HHF that will better the lives of so many people just like these boys.

And I know someday, hearing restoration— which already exists in birds, fish, and young mice — will be possible for millions of folks who have hearing loss.

Progress cannot happen without you.

Please, if you are able, give today to bring us closer to realizing that dream.

Your generosity is urgently needed to accelerate new treatments and cures. We appreciate your consideration to give to HHF’s life-changing work.

Thank you and happy holidays!

Cheer for Hearing Loss Research

By Lauren McGrath

Residents of Westport, CT and the surrounding area shopped and socialized at “Cheer for the Hearing Health Foundation” to support life-changing hearing loss research and awareness on Thursday, November 29.

Graciously hosted by Genevieve Bouchard at her women’s clothing boutique, Scout and Molly’s, proceeds from the all-day event benefited both Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) and the Staples High School (SHS) Cheerleaders in Westport.

The shop was open to the public during the day with 10% of sales supporting HHF and another 10% going to the cheerleading team. In the evening, Ms. Bouchard and the SHS cheerleading team entertained a private group of attendees with food and beverages, raffle prizes, and a silent auction.

The SHS cheerleaders organize a fundraiser annually for their team in conjunction with one nonprofit organization. Ms. Bouchard selected HHF because her two daughters, Katelyn, 12, and Solenne, 10, are cochlear implant recipients.

A presentation from HHF staff was kindly captioned by Lisa Nuland, a Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) provider at Bedford Middle School in Westport. In addition to giving an overview of HHF’s research, speaker Lauren McGrath highlighted the importance of hearing loss prevention and challenging stigma to an audience of mostly school-age children and their parents.

Genevieve Bouchard (center) with HHF Development Associate Gina Russo and Marketing Manager Lauren McGrath.

HHF is sincerely grateful to the organizers for the opportunity to share our mission, and thanks the event guests for their interest in our work.

You, too, can host an event to help HHF advance progress toward better treatments and cures for hearing loss. There are many different fundraising event ideas from golf outings and bake sales, to birthdays and weddings, to marathons and triathlons. Email development@hhf.org to plan your event.

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Grace’s Law

By Jeanine and Grace Gleba

In December 2008, a small (Christmas) miracle happened in the state of New Jersey and personally for our family. It’s hard for us to believe that it has been a decade since Governor Richard Codey said these words:

Grace Gleba (red sweater on right) looks on as HAIL is signed into law.

“I want to personally thank Grace and the entire Gleba family for their years of advocacy on behalf of children with hearing loss. Grace’s tenacity, and her own example of what children can achieve with the proper treatment for hearing loss, are a major reason why kids in New Jersey will be able to receive the gift of hearing for years and years to come. Grace and her family have taken personal adversity and turned it into something positive for the people of New Jersey. We all owe her a debt of gratitude.”  

The governor spoke as we witnessed the passage of Grace’s Law S467/A1571. These bill numbers are emblazoned forever in my mind.

Grace’s Law is known as Hearing Aid Insurance Legislation (HAIL) and mandates hearing aid coverage for New Jersey children ages 15 years and younger. For our family and all of the families who advocated in the state capital of Trenton with us, it was a monumental accomplishment. In fact, it took nine years to raise awareness and fight for this law to become a reality. The statistics validate this being quite a feat as only 3 percent of all bills introduced ever become a law!

On the law’s 10th anniversary, here are 10 ways you can celebrate this landmark legislation:

1) Take a few minutes to learn the history of the bill here and here. You can read the original legislation and the most recent pamphlet that the NJ Department of Human Services’ Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has produced explaining Grace's Law. Take note that as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the state has made this an essential health benefit and since 2014 there is no longer a maximum benefit limit of $1,000 per hearing aid (after deductibles, copays etc.). Now that’s something to celebrate—that children now can have even better coverage!

2) Support research toward a biological cure for hearing loss with a contribution to Hearing Health Foundation (HHF)’s Hearing Restoration Project (HRP). The HRP is a scientific consortium studying how fish, birds, and mice regenerate their hearing to replicate this phenomenon in humans.

3) Do you know a child who has benefitted from Grace’s Law and is a shining example that with their hearing aids they have overcome obstacles and achieved great things? Help them join HHF’s Faces of Hearing Loss awareness project. Their participation will show that hearing loss and related conditions can affect anyone.

4) Make a difference in someone else’s life and give the gift of sound by donating old hearing aids to Hearing Charities of America.

5) Wear earplugs for a day to gain a better understanding of living with hearing loss on a daily basis and why getting fitted for proper hearing aids can improve lives.

6) Participate in Walk4Hearing events held nationwide by the Hearing Loss Association of America.

7) Tweet a message showing your gratitude for HAIL. Tag @graceslaw and @hearinghealthfn include a link to this blog post. Here are sample tweets to get you started:

• For 10 years #GracesLaw #HAIL has helped children in NJ hear. Help spread the word by doing something from the 10 Ways to Celebrate!

• Millions of Americans experience some sort of hearing loss. #HAIL is needed in every state. #listenupamerica

• #HAIL Yeah!

• I’m celebrating #GracesLaw #anniversary by _____________.

• #GracesLaw improved my/my child’s quality of life by ____________.

• This year I am thankful for #HAIL #GracesLaw and hearing technology #gratitude

8) Advocate like we did 10 years ago! Last year, President Donald Trump signed into law the Food and Drug Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017, which includes the Over the Counter Hearing Aid Act. Next, we hope Congress will pass federal HAIL for all ages. Hearing loss doesn’t discriminate, so why does insurance coverage? Write your legislators to let them know that this is important to you.

9) Schedule a hearing exam for you or a loved one.

10) Protect your hearing or lose it. People of all ages can be affected by noise-induced hearing loss. Turn down the volume on your electronic devices. Find more ways to protect your hearing.

This article was repurposed with permission from Jeanine and Grace Gleba. Jeanine Gleba serves as a public member on the NJ State Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Advisory Committee. Grace Gleba is a student in the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University, where she is majoring in communications sciences and disorders with a minor in health administration and policy.

Receive updates on life-changing hearing research and resources by subscribing to HHF's free quarterly magazine and e-newsletter.

Researchers Discover Key Gene in Cells Associated With Age-Related Hearing Loss

Hearing Restoration Project consortium member Ronna Hertzano, M.D., Ph.D. (2009–10 ERG), an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and colleagues identified a gene, Ikzf2, that acts as a key regulator for outer hair cells whose loss is a major cause of age-related hearing loss. The Ikzf2 gene encodes helios, a transcription factor (a protein that controls the expression of other genes). The mutation of the gene in mice impairs the activity of helios in the mice, leading to an outer hair cell deficit.

As published in Nature in November 2018, the team tested whether the opposite effect could be created—if an abundance of helios could boost the population of outer hair cells. They introduced a virus engineered to overexpress helios into the inner ear hair cells of newborn mice, and found that some mature inner hair cells became more like outer hair cells by exhibiting electromotility, a property limited to outer hair cells. The finding that helios can drive inner hair cells to adopt critical outer hair cell characteristics holds promise for future treatments of age-related hearing loss. —University of Maryland

Communicate Effectively Over the Phone

By Dusty Ann Jessen, Au.D.

Even with email, texting, and video chat 
available, the humble telephone remains a primary means of communication in the workplace. Telephones, of course, render the communicators unable to see each other when talking, so they can’t take advantage of important visual cues, including knowing when it’s their turn to talk. This is especially disconcerting for those with hearing loss; however, communication breakdowns can happen over the phone even between people who don’t have difficulty hearing. Here are simple strategies to help.

If you are the speaker, you are responsible for conveying a clear message that is received accurately. Focus on the call (don’t multitask!), and make sure the telephone receiver or headset microphone is near your mouth. Speak at a slightly slower pace and enunciate clearly. If your listener is struggling to understand, don’t just repeat what you said; rephrase it or provide additional clarification. This is especially important when conveying letters or numbers; say “C, as in Charlie.”

If you are the listener, place your full attention on the phone call. Turn up the volume to a comfortable level, and consider using the speakerphone so you can hear with both ears. If you miss a word or sentence, don’t just say “What?” Ask your speaker to rephrase the last sentence. You can also ask follow-up questions requiring a yes/no answer (easy words to understand over the telephone) and repeat back what you think you heard.

For optimal hearing—and whether your workplace environment is an office, classroom, or factory—do your best to eliminate background noise when on the phone. Turn off any distracting sounds in your environment, such as silencing a cell phone or muting your computer, or find a quieter place to conduct your phone call.

Landline phones are available with amplifiers and tone controls. Landline phones work well with the telecoil (t-coil) built into most hearing aids (ask your hearing health provider if you are unsure). The t-coil is a small copper coil that picks up the electromagnetic energy naturally emitting from landline phones for a clear signal, without needing a microphone.

If you are in the market for a new cell phone, be sure to choose one that is “hearing aid compatible,” with a microphone (M) and telecoil (T) rating of 3 or 4. Many advanced hearing aids can connect wirelessly to mobile phones, creating a convenient “hands-free” option with excellent sound quality.

These strategies can be applied to many other situations as well. Enunciating clearly on the phone will make you a better communicator all around. Getting out of the habit of asking only “What?” and replacing it with a polite, “Can you please rephrase that?” will help in any situation. Reducing background noise and taking advantage of technology can improve communication efforts for everyone.

Dusty Ann Jessen, Au.D., is based in Colorado. This article, which also appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of Hearing Health magazine, is adapted with permission from her book, “5 Keys to Communication Success.” For more, 
see 5keys.info.

Receive updates on life-changing hearing research and resources by subscribing to HHF's free quarterly magazine and e-newsletter.

Believe, Support, Share: #GivingTuesday 2018

By Lauren McGrath

Thank you for supporting Hearing Health Foundation (HHF), the nation’s largest charity funder of hearing and balance research, on this worldwide day of kindness. You can make HHF part of your #GivingTuesday celebration in one or more of the following ways:

Give Directly
We accept donations by phone at 212-257-6146, online, and by mail to:
Hearing Health Foundation
363 Seventh Ave, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10001

We pledge to use your gift wisely. Our responsible and effective donor stewardship practices have been commended by Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, Consumer Reports, Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, and GuideStar. All donors are recognized and acknowledged in our Annual Report.

Facebook Donations
Consider making a donation through our Facebook page, where your gift will be generously matched through a partnership with PayPal.

Workplace Giving
Many companies offer matching gift benefits to employees, doubling the value of their charitable contributions. Find out if your employer will take your support for HHF twice as far.

Start a Social Fundraiser
Unable to make a personal contribution? No problem. Enlist help from your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, or classmates to give on your behalf through Facebook or Classy.

Shop Without Remorse
On Amazon, you can make your purchase through AmazonSmile and designate HHF as your charity of choice. If you are shopping on one of many other popular retailers’ sites like CVS, Nike, Etsy, Groupon, Macy’s, or Modell’s, you may allocate a percentage of your purchase to HHF through iGive.

Plan Ahead
Planned giving donors provide essential philanthropic support that enables Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) to remain the country’s largest nonprofit funder of hearing research. The Hearing Health Legacy was established to recognize and thank these extraordinary individuals. Learn more about planned giving options.

Let everyone know you supported HHF on #GivingTuesday by sharing this photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.