Meet Sandy Hamilton
Sandy Hamilton has struggled with debilitating hearing loss since childhood, and it has impacted many aspects of her life. That’s why the team at HearingLife in Arvada, CO was so pleased to present a pair of free hearing aids to her. Sandy is deaf in one ear, so she has been able to benefit from a CROS solution, where sound is transmitted from her “dead” ear to a hearing aid in her other ear. This special technology makes a huge difference for people like Sandy.
Hearing loss means challenges at home
As with many couples, Sandy and her husband both become frustrated when she continually needs him to repeat himself. Their miscommunications have led to unintended conflicts and strain, including her saying “yes” to things when she didn’t correctly hear what she was agreeing to. Hearing loss has led to increased anxiety and feelings of isolation.
After losing their son last year, Sandy and her husband are raising their five-year-old granddaughter. As with many children in the US, their kindergartener is attending a hybrid program where she is in school twice a week and the rest of the week is learning virtually from home. Sandy struggles to provide her granddaughter adequate support with schooling, as she can rarely hear what the teacher is saying.
Former teacher for students with special needs has had her own challenges
Prior to taking care of her granddaughter, Sandy taught children with special needs. As a person who experienced childhood-onset hearing loss, she had a unique understanding of the struggles her students faced. Sandy’s hearing loss was caused by ototoxic medicines, which she had to take when she was ill. While she was able to relate to children with special needs, classrooms are exceptionally difficult hearing environments. Some studies show teachers are at higher risk for hearing loss due to the excessive noise.
Hearing aids help the family, too
With new hearing aids, Sandy will be able to engage better with her family and she can pair her Bluetooth hearing aids with a broad range of devices. This includes being able to stream sound from her computer directly to her hearing aid, so she can follow and help her granddaughter with schoolwork.
Congratulations, Sandy!