Author Archives: oticonmedical

From fearful to fearless – how advocacy helped Cierra McCorkell receive her abutment surgery

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Cierra McCorkell was born with bilateral hearing loss with microtia and atresia on the left side.

She received her first Ponto Bone Anchored Hearing device in 2012 when she was in 6th grade after her hearing loss had progressed. She began wearing a Ponto Pro on a headband and continued with the headband until she was in high school. When discussing the possibility of surgery, she found the decision overwhelming, and surgery was a frightening thought.

“Just the word alone made her afraid. I have always let her choose for herself when she is ready to do something so this decision was solely on her.” – Theresa McCorkell

While researching bone anchored hearing, Cierra’s mother Theresa found the blog of a Ponto advocate who had written about her recent surgery to have her abutment placed. Theresa commented that her daughter was afraid of the surgery which sparked an online conversation that would lead Theresa and Cierra to Oticon Medical’s annual patient advocacy conference to learn more about the procedure.

Overcoming a fear of surgery
In October of 2016, Cierra and her mother attended the Oticon Medical Patient Advocacy Workshop. It was there, among fellow Ponto users, that Cierra expressed her fear of surgery and where she learned first hand about the Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS) procedure.

“She had never met anyone like her. But now she saw other children and adults who were doing great with the surgery and that helped her a lot. Cierra was nervous because she doesn’t talk about her hearing loss and we didn’t know what to expect. We had a great time and we learned a lot. She made friends and it opened up a whole new conversation for her to learn how to advocate for herself now that she is getting older.” – Theresa McCorkell

On the last day of the conference, Cierra announced that she had made the decision to move forward with abutment surgery thanks to the stories and information provided by fellow advocates.

Surgery and activation
On September 1, 2017, Cierra was implanted using the MIPS procedure. Her mother comments that the surgery was less than an hour and without complications. Four months after her abutment was placed, Cierra was finally able to snap on her Ponto Pro, which her mother captured in the video below.

 

“Ultimately, what helped was knowing there are people just like her out there.” – Theresa McCorkell

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Click the button if you want to learn more about our Ponto bone anchored hearing systems or arrange a trial.

 

Powerful sound: How the Ponto 3 SuperPower is making a difference for these Ponto families

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This past October, we sat down with parents of children who use the Ponto bone anchored hearing system and asked them about three important aspects of the bone anchored hearing experience – the power of choice, discovering the difference, and powerful sound.

Powerful sound

The Ponto 3 SuperPower gives premium sound quality, as well as helps reduce the effort spent on listening. Loud sounds remain loud but not distorted, and softer sounds are audible.

When there are conversations and background noise, your brain has to work harder to make sense of the sounds it hears, which can leave you or your child feeling drained.The Ponto 3 SuperPower helps reduce the extra listening effort the brain expends to compensate for a hearing loss, freeing up mental energy for more important things in life.

In the video below, these families share their experiences with the Ponto 3 SuperPower and how the sound quality has made a difference in their children’s lives.

 

Interested in learning more about the Ponto 3 SuperPower as a possible hearing solution for your child? Click below to be connected to an audiologist.

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Discover the difference: The importance of trying different bone anchored hearing devices and why these families chose Ponto

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This past October, we sat down with parents of children who use the Ponto Bone Anchored Hearing System and asked them about three important aspects of the bone anchored hearing experience – the power of choice, discovering the difference, and powerful sound.

Try and discover the difference 

In the video below learn how important it is to demo different devices and how these parents discovered the difference with Ponto by doing so.

 

Interested in the Ponto 3 SuperPower as a possible hearing solution for your child? Click below to learn more.

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Powerful choice: Why these parents chose the Ponto 3 SuperPower for their children

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This past October, we sat down with parents of children who use the Ponto Bone Anchored Hearing System and asked them about three important aspects of the bone anchored hearing experience – the power of choice, discovering the difference, and powerful sound.

Choice – you have options

There are options when it comes to bone anchored hearing, and these families have learned about their choices through online support groups such as this one and this one, research and advocacy. 

In the videos below, two families share their experiences of looking for the right hearing solution and choosing Ponto. We hope their stories empower you to find the solution that’s right for your child.

Interested in the Ponto 3 SuperPower as a possible hearing solution for your child? Click below to learn more.

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The Ponto 3 SuperPower is a hopeful solution to hearing loss for James Wolff

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James Wolff is 71-years-old and has experienced hearing loss for years. In the past, he wore bilateral hearing aids, however, because of drainage in his left ear, he often had to remove the hearing aid which left him with poor hearing on his left side. His daughter, Kimberlee Griffey who has worked at Oticon Medical for 7 years, recounts bringing her bone anchored hearing equipment to Christmas every year for her father to try.

“I’d bring a demo, a softband, and a Streamer to Christmas,  just wanting to test him, but he would say he didn’t need it. Then last Christmas he finally said ‘I think I’m ready for the procedure’.” – Kimberlee Griffey

James had surgery to get his abutment placed in June 2017 with Dr. James Benecke at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Benecke has been working with bone anchored hearing systems (BAHS) for 14 years. He says that for many patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss who cannot have their hearing corrected surgically and cannot use hearing aids because of ear canal and drainage issues, a BAHS is a great option.

When considering a BAHS for his patients, Dr. Benecke investigates and explains all available options. He recommends that his patients talk with other patients who wear different devices, checks insurance options and has patients trial the BAHS on a softband. If an audiometric evaluation is unclear as to whether a person might be a good candidate for the Ponto, he works with Oticon Medical representatives to help with identifying potential candidates when an evaluation might be unclear.

“I always give patients their options and have them chat with people who have tried different systems. Overall, my patient population does better with bone anchored hearing systems as opposed to a CROS hearing aid.” – Dr. Benecke

For James’s procedure, Dr. Benecke performed the Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS). MIPS is a procedure that takes 10-15 minutes and is normally carried out under local anesthetic. He mentions that when someone says the word surgery, most patients have pre-conceived thoughts about what is involved.

“No one wants to have surgery, but if there is an opportunity to improve an aspect of someone’s health by doing a procedure that someone is well informed about and has good outcomes, then people need to know about it so they can make the best-informed decision.” – Dr. Benecke

“When people first think of surgery they think long recovery time—a long time in the operating room. I tell people that with the MIPS procedure it’s less than an hour, outpatient procedure. My dad had no pain whatsoever. It was life-changing for him. My advice is not to wait because you don’t know what you’re missing.” – Kimberlee Griffey

This past September, James was activated with his Ponto 3 SuperPower and the results have been life-changing.

“Before he described sounds as muffled.  Now it is loud and clear.  His volume of speech has significantly decreased because now he can monitor his own speech, where he was not able to do this before. He drives a lot and he’s able to put the microphone on his grandkids and he can hear them in the back seat. He also loves using his Streamer to connect to his phone, TV, and laptop. It has opened a whole new world and I am so very grateful that he is able to get the best of life in his golden years.” – Kimberlee Griffey

As awareness continues to grow around bone anchored hearing and the MIPS procedure, Dr. Benecke says he will continue to advocate for bone anchored hearing because ‘the results speak for themselves’.

“The first thing my dad said after he was fit with his Ponto was ‘why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?’” – Kimberlee Griffey

 

Interested in learning more about the Ponto 3 SuperPower? Click below and we can help connect with you with an audiologist in your area.
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Nathan’s journey to his Ponto 3 SuperPower

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Nathan Anderson is 7-years-old. He was born with Treacher Collins syndrome and bilateral conductive hearing loss. His hearing journey began when he was 6 months old with a bone anchored hearing system (BAHS) on a softband.

While his mother, Liz Anderson, was happy her son had the device, they were never happy with the feedback that occurred when someone or something would come in contact with it. Through online communities such as the “BAHA Kids Club World Hearing”, Liz began to learn about other bone anchored hearing options and came across Oticon Medical and the Ponto.

When it came time to decide whether or not he would continue with his device on a softband, Nathan who prior to his BAHS surgeries had had 7 other medical procedures, was unsure about the decision. He spoke with a friend who had gone from a softband to an abutment and received reassurance that the surgery was an easy process.

“When it came time for deciding on whether or not to have surgery for implantation, Nathan made the decision himself. One day at the dinner table, he let us know he was ready.”

In the video below, Nathan’s Ponto 3 SuperPowers are activated!

 

“When I saw videos of adults trying the new Ponto 3 SuperPower, it helped me make the decision that that was the direction we wanted to go. The clarity that people spoke of and children in middle school spoke about trying different BAHS devices but ultimately chose Ponto – that cemented our decision.”

Interested in learning more about our newest Ponto – the Ponto 3 SuperPower? Click the button below to be connected to a representative from our team.
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A Wonderful way to bring awareness to microtia and atresia and a lesson in “choosing kind”

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“The doctors and nurses told us that Davin didn’t have ears. That he was going to be a deaf-mute and would never talk or hear. I didn’t believe them and the next day my mom came to the hospital with a yellow piece of paper with writing on it – microtia and atresia” – Shannon Gordon

“I remember the day when my youngest daughter Alyssa (Ally) was born. It was one of the happiest moments in my life. My husband, Brent, and I were so thrilled to finally meet her. I remember her little smile and how beautiful she was, but I also remember Brent coming over to me with tears welled up in his eyes when he said ‘Something is wrong with her ear.’ Ally’s right ear was only partially formed, with no obvious ear canal.” – Melissa Tumblin, Founder of Ear Community

Melissa Tumblin with her daughter, Ally, at the prescreening of the movie Wonder

This is not just Shannon and Melissa’s story. It’s the story that many families with microtia and atresia have faced.

Today, we’re happy to see awareness being spread from the recent movie “Wonder”, which documents the journey of Auggie Pullman, a boy born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, who has microtia and atresia. Although Auggie’s story might be fictional, the lives of approximately 600,000 individuals who have been diagnosed with a craniofacial condition in the U.S. and 34,000 people living with microtia are real. As awareness is cultivated by movies like “Wonder”, so is kindness, responsibility, and friendship. Ultimately, we hope this movie and others like it will continue to inspire the world to ‘choose kind’.

“This movie is bringing a lot of awareness to some of our very rare differences.” – Rachel Plassmeyer

 

The Ponto 3 Power Makes a Powerful Difference in Nicaragua

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Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America with a population of over 6 million people. According to the Carlyle Hearing Center, it is estimated that 10% of the Nicaraguan population has a severe to profound hearing loss, pointing to a count of 600,000 people.

Sherry Rauh is a former medical journalist. After becoming intrigued by implantable hearing technology, she went back to school and to earn her AuD from Nova Southeastern University in 2015. She is now a clinical audiologist with South Florida ENT Associates and the co-founder of Hear for Good, Inc., a nonprofit foundation dedicated to helping adults and children with hearing loss in South Florida and Nicaragua.

Hearing Aids for Nicaraguan Students (HANS)

Kamilla, age 7

In 2014, Dr. Rauh organized a joint project between Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Student Academy of Audiology and the Los Pipitos Institute in Managua, Nicaragua to provide hearing aids to children.

“I had been to Nicaragua the previous year and saw how they were identifying many children with hearing loss at a young age, but had limited resources for intervention.”

In 2015, the HANS Project received a grant from the Hear the World Foundation providing BTE hearing aids for the next 5 years. Dr. Rauh now travels to Nicaragua every year with a small group of audiology students from NSU, to fit new hearing aid devices and provide followup to previous patients, while Los Pipitos provides check-ups and speech therapy.

“It’s really important to me that whichever children we do fit with hearing aids we are able to provide them with sufficient follow-up care.”

Providing Bone Conduction Hearing Devices in Nicaragua

Anselyn, age 1

As Dr. Rauh’s organization has grown, her partners in Nicaragua began asking what could be done for children with microtia and atresia, who cannot use conventional hearing aids for their hearing loss. She reached out to Oticon Medical and her local representative, Brittany Whitlock, who provided two demo units which were fit with soft-bands. Oticon Medical then made an official donation of four Ponto 3 Power units for her trip her most recent trip this October.

“While we have the BTE hearing aids, there are children who can’t use those and to be able to extend assistance to those children meant a lot to our team, the team in Nicaragua, and the families.”

Frander, age 7 months

 

With the continued work of the Hear for Good foundation and Los Pipitos, children in Nicaragua with different hearing needs are not only being fit with hearing devices, but receiving the proper follow-up, and care throughout their lives. When asked why this work is important to her, Dr. Rauh said, “There are so many countries where there is very little, to no access to audiologists, so part of me feels like we have a responsibility to provide that assistance. But I also get a lot of personal joy making these trips and seeing the difference we are making.”

 

Celebrating National Microtia Awareness Day

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November 9th is dedicated to spreading hope and knowledge around a congenital birth defect, Microtia, which occurs when the ear has not been fully developed in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Often affecting one or both ears, Microtia is diagnosed at birth, but there is no understanding as to why it occurs. A Microtia ear is smaller in size, can have a peanut shaped appearance, and is often accompanied by Atresia. Atresia, also known as aural atresia, is the absence or closure of the external auditory ear canal.

At Oticon Medical, we’re proud to say that our Bone Anchored Hearing System (BAHS) has helped people affected by Microtia and Atresia. As we celebrate the second annual Microtia Awareness Day today, we hope to promote public awareness and hope for future generations.

To learn more about Microtia and Atresia and explore helpful resources please visit the Ear Community.

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Naven thrives with the help of his Ponto 3 and Ear Community

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Naven Ramirez, BMA age 5 of the Philippines, receives (2) newly donated Oticon Medical Ponto 3’s on October 6th, 2017

Naven R. Osic is a five-year-old boy from the Philippines who was born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia. After learning that her son was born missing both his ears, Naven’s mother Donna, worried about how he would adjust to life and what impact this hearing loss would have on him. As Naven got older and began attending a daycare school, he struggled to hear his teachers, keep up with lessons, and make friends.

Donna decided to take action and meet with an ENT at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) where she received heartbreaking news – without the appropriate hearing device, Naven’s speech, and hearing would continue to decline and he would continue to struggle socially and academically. Further testing showed that Naven had moderate to severe conductive hearing loss and would need bilateral bone conduction devices to help him hear.

Seeking assistance, Naven’s audiologists reached out to Ear Community and on October 6, 2017 he was fitted with two brand new Oticon Medical Ponto 3 hearing devices, donated through Ear Community. Naven now has the auditory tools he needs to thrive and hear his best. 

Naven now is very happy, he clearly hear(s) what we are saying. He can easily keep up (with) the lesson when he is at school – Donna

To read the full story, visit Ear Community and learn more.

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Are you interested in learning about the Ponto 3 SuperPower for yourself or your child? Click below to be connected to a representative from our team.

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