30 Nov Alex

Alex is a 7 year old boy living with hearing loss. When Alex was 2, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor; as a result of chemotherapy, Alex’s hearing was impacted. Alex wears behind-the-ear-style hearing aids for all waking hours, which have a few basic parts:

• A microphone and amplifier, which pick up and amplify sound
• An ear hook which hooks on the outside of his ear, just like eyeglasses
• A connecting tube which transmits the electronic sound from the microphone into his ear molds
• And his ear molds which fit snugly inside his ear canal to provide a seal for the sound the microphone is piping inside

When you’re young, your ears are constantly growing and changing! In order for Alex’s hearing aids to work properly, he needs new ear molds about every 5-6 months. This becomes quite costly for families. Variety’s Special Needs Program helps Alex hear by covering the cost of replacement ear molds.

“My son’s hearing aids have made such a huge impact on his development and communication skills. Thanks to properly fitting ear molds, he is able to have conversations and learn to express himself which has helped develop his overall skills and catch up to other kids his age quicker.” – Rebecca