TO GIVE, TO INSPIRE | Local Hearing Foundation Assists Children with Brain Cancer

THE FISHER FOUNDATION FOR HEARING HEALTH CARE NAPERVILLE/OAK BROOK– Can you hear me now? This phrase, made popular by a long-running television commercial, takes on a different meaning for those going through care for hearing loss. Dr. Ronna Fisher, who started the Healing Health Centers in 1984, has dedicated her career to bringing back the sounds of life for her patients. “The centers were a tribute to my father who had difficulty hearing,” says Dr. Fisher. “His inability to understand conversations and hearing the wrong words affected our family relationships and his work relationships. It made him more and more depressed.”

Dr. Fisher found that several of her patients could not afford the hearing services and treatment they needed. Although she tried finding used and donated hearing aids, she couldn’t help everyone, and it broke her heart. She was inspired to start the Fisher Foundation for Hearing Health Care in 2005, where she would have the resources to help everyone that walked in their doors.

When Dr. Fisher learned that the number one disability of our soldiers overseas is disabling hearing loss from gunfire and exposure to blasts due to having inadequate ear protection, she was able through the Foundation to assist and change that. She collaborated with several manufacturers of specialized hearing protection to make custom fit ear protection that filtered harmful and sudden impact noise out while still allowing speech and warning sounds to come through.

About six years ago, a 6-year old child with brain cancer was referred to the Foundation. Dr. Fisher learned that 70% of cancer survivors have permanent and irreversible hearing loss from the very treatments that saved their lives. “It is especially devastating for children and their families,” says Dr. Fisher. “They are in their prime learning stages. Their primary mode of learning and communicating is through listening, imitating, and asking questions.” There are not a lot of resources to assist these families with their child’s hearing loss. Now there is. The Fisher Foundation for Healing Health Care is the only foundation in America dedicated to bringing back hearing lost for children with cancer.

Our communities can get involved with The Foundation’s efforts by donating funds and making a point of bringing their business to retailers and professional services that contribute a portion of their profits to charities. The Hearing Health Centers in Naperville and Oak Brook give generous support to the Fisher Foundation. For more information, visit www.fisherfoundationforhearing.org

Mindy’s January Giving Inspiration: Offer to do pro bono work on a project where your skills are needed.

ABOUT THE WRITER Mindy Kyle is the owner of Be Inspired Studios and is passionate about helping people discover what brings them joy and to live a full, healthy and happy life. She has her Masters in Fine Arts degree in creative writing from DePaul University and lives in Naperville with her husband, three children and the cutest dog in the land.