The Ears of the Deaf are Unstopped.

Thirty years ago, while visiting my aging and hard-of-hearing widowed mother in the UK, I was amazed to find her far more upbeat than she had been for a very long time. She explained that the Health Service had, “in order to improve her quality of life,” provided her with a free “Hearing Loop.” She could once again listen to BBC3 and her “Telly” hearing every musical note and every word of dialogue. Not only so but for the first time in many years she could converse freely with her family and visitors.

She demonstrated how this miracle was produced by a simple copper wire attached to the walls encircling her room. All she had to do was touch the T-coil button on her hearing aids and: “Now, Keith, stick this little microphone on your lapel and let’s talk,” she said. “Please don’t shout at me — I can hear you perfectly well when you speak normally.” What a gift!

As my own hearing rapidly deteriorated and I graduated to more and more powerful and sophisticated hearing aids, I also began foregoing concerts, quitting social groups, and finding it more and more difficult to worship in church. I knew that “induction ” loops, like my mother’s were being installed around the world in museums, theaters, churches and homes everywhere – it seemed, but in the USA. I tried lots of Radio Shack devices. I tried the volume enhancing ear buds at church. They all shared the same big problem: background sounds increased too. I talked to several local audio professionals about their pursuing the loop remedy, but nobody was interested. I got: “It’s a fringe market.” In frustration I withdrew further.

Then a year ago my audiologist, Dr. Cynthia Schaffer, www.ncaudiology.com, told me about American Hearing Loop of Greenville South Carolina. I contacted them and within a few weeks had a system installed at my home, with the same life-enhancing results that my mother had experienced thirty years earlier. Not only could I now hear radio, TV and recordings, but best of all, I could chat with my wife, Carmen, when she wore the small microphone, without my having to ask her to repeat and repeat every word containing an S.

I was so thrilled that I implored my Rector at St. Mark’s in Raleigh, The Revd. Lorraine Ljunggren, to consider having a Loop installed. She talked to the Vestry whose members agreed that we should ask the engineers at American Hearing Loop to assess the possibilities of installing a system. They came. They decided that we could run the necessary wires in our already grooved concrete floor and they gave us a reasonable estimate. Within a few weeks a special fund target was met, a contract signed, and St. Mark’s had a Hearing Loop plugged into its existing sound system. The loop works wonders for anyone with hearing aids set to “T-coil” or with cochlea implants.

Those several of us at St. Mark’s who are hearing-challenged, and our numbers are increasing, are getting every word now, clearly and directly. Sometimes we can even hear Lorraine whispering instructions to her acolytes and we grin to each other. Alleloopia! Alleloopia!

The Revd. Keith J. Reeve, retired.

Where We’ve Looped

American Hearing Loop Executive and Medical board is comprised of 3 Audiologists and 1 ENT.

The board guides, trains and directs AHL efforts to assist the hearing impaired and provide a better hearing solution for a better life.

Endorsed by
HLAA http://www.hearingloss.org/
Sertoma http://www.sertoma.org/
AAA http://www.audiology.org/Pages/default.aspx
BBB http://www.bbb.org/nw-south-carolina/
and many more organizations.

• Emmanuel Lutheran Church, High Point NC, 1401 Heathcliff Rd, High Point, NC 27262
(336) 882-2119, Monty Simpson, msimsha[email protected], 336-882-2119, http://www.emmanuellutheranchurch.org/

• Inman Methodist Church, 27 Bishop St Inman, SC 29349, Pastor Ed Stallworth, [email protected], 864-472-3050

• RoseHill Presbyterian Church, 229 S. Saluda Ave. Columbia, South Carolina 29205, http://www.rosehillpca.org/ Max Barker, 803-772-2862

• Edwards Road Baptist Church, Greenville, SC, Pastor Aaron Rayburn, 864-244-2975 http://www.edwardsroad.org/

• Triad Center Stage at The Pearl Theater, Rich Whittington, 336-274-0067  http://triadstage.org/

• St Johns Baptist, Raleigh NC, Richard Wynne, 919-610-1738
1615 Oberlin Rd Raleigh, NC 27608, Phone (919) 832-5134, http://www.stjohnsbaptist.com/
Jeff Mobely  919-875-2239

• St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, GA, Rev. Patricia Templeton, 404-266-1018 [email protected] http://www.stdunstan.net/

• Dr. Juliette Sterkens, AUD, 920-231-0503
http://www.foxvalleyhearingloop.com/ContactUs.aspx
http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/seen-heard-juliette-sterkens/

• St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Raleigh, NC, Rev. Lorraine Ljunggren, 919-231-6767 http://www.stmarks-ral.org/

• Franciscan Monastery of St. Clare, Travelers Rest, SC, Sister Nancy, 864-834-8015 http://poorclaresc.com/zzz/
• Congregational United Church of Christ, Greensboro, NC , Paul Davis, 336-207-5656, http://www.congregationalucc.com/home/index.php

• Furman University, Greenville, SC, Lucy Woodhouse, OLLI Program Director, Continuing Education-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, 864-294-2997,  http://www2.furman.edu/sites/OLLI/Pages/default.aspx
Furman University, Greenville, SC, Tim Hightower, IT Director, 864-444-5058

• Life University, Marietta Georgia, Dan Carlton, Director of Video Production, A/V Production Service,
Office: 770-426-2857, Mobile: 678-386-7717 http://www.life.edu/

• North Avenue Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA, Roger P. Young, Executive Director of Finance & Operations, 404-875-0431  http://www.napc.org/

• Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery,
Dr. Sara Unrein, Au.D., CCC-A, Hearing Implant Program Coordinator, 919-668-2350
Health Center Administrator, Michelle Edwards, 919-684-2881
Duke Gynecology, Rheumatology, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Duke Voice Care Center, NG/Vestibular Lab and Oral Surgery

• Hearing Solutions by Marcy, Greenville, SC, Marcy Stowell, Licensed Audiologist 864-509-1152, http://hearingsolutionsbymarcy.com

• North Carolina Audiology Associates, Raleigh, NC, Dr. Cynthia Schaffer, Au.D., 919-783-8751, http://www.ncaudiology.com/

• The Hearing Clinic, Greensboro, NC, Dr. Tami Ike, Au.D., 800-651-8551, http://www.thehearingclinic.com/

• SpringMoor Life Care, 150 Sawmill Road Raleigh, NC 27615, Fred Conner, Executive Director 919-848-7392, http://www.springmoor.org

• Well Spring Retirement Community, Greensboro, NC, Philip Johnson, Director, 336-545-5383, http://www.well-spring.org/

• River Landing Retirement at Sandy Ridge, Colfax, NC, Arnie Thompson, Director, 336-668-4900, http://www.riverlandingsr.org/

• David Greene, Greene’s Law Firm, 864-350-0704, Greenville, SC. http://www.greenelaw.org/

• Habitat for Humanity, Greenville, SC, Monroe Free, President & CEO, 864-672-6335

• Carolina Hearing Center, Greenville, SC, Alisa McMahon, Au.D., 864-414-5346

• Royal Palms Hearing Center, Boca Raton Fl, Elissa Sorkowitz Lejeune 561-213-0549, http://www.royalpalmhearing.com/

• John Knox Presbyterian, Greenville, SC http://www.johnknoxpres.org/
Mark Britt, 864-293-2116,
Russell Harris, 864-376-0065,
Joellen Harris, 864-376-0066

• Chapel in the Pines, 314 Great Ridge Parkway Chapel Hill, NC 27516, http://citppc.org/modules/info/
Bob Warren, 919-418-7449
Pastor Mindy Douglas, 919-960-0616

• Younts Theatre, 315 North Main Street, Fountain Inn, SC 29644, http://www.yountscenter.org/
Van Broad: Director Fountain Inn, Younts Center for Performing Arts, 864-408-9755,
Elaine Ratchford, 864-409-1050, Administrative Assistant Younts Center for Performing Arts

• Plantation Estates, 733 Plantation Estates Drive, Matthews, NC28105
Michael Rodden, 704-845-5900
http://www.actsretirement.org/community-locations/nc/plantation-estates-matthews/

• Hilltop Freewill Baptist Church, 10212 Fayetteville Rd, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Zachary Bell, http://www.hilltopchurch.com/

• St. John Neumann Catholic Church, Charlotte, NC. 8451 Idlewild Rd, Charlotte, NC 28227
(704) 536-6520. Anthony Morlando, (704) 631-6589 http://www.4sjnc.org/

• Immaculate Conception Hendersonville, Hendersonville, NC. 208 7th Ave West,
Hendersonville, NC 28791, 828-693-6901. http://www.immaculateconceptionchurch.com
Robert Vander Zanden

• NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), http://www.ncdhhs.gov/ ,
Hearing Impaired, Assisted Technology Lab
2801 Mail Service Center, 805 Ruggles Drive, Raleigh, NC 27699-2801
Tammy D. Koger, Director, NCATP, DVRS 919-855-3544 phone
Paris Penny,  (919) 855-4861

• St Johns Baptist, 1615 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh, NC 27608, (919) 832-5134
http://www.stjohnsbaptist.com/ Pastor Richard Wynne, 919-610-1738

News

Voice Your Hearing Loss – Kathy Kopp

Listen to Kathy Kopp voice her hearing loss and how hearing loops have helped. She also urges others with hearing loss to speak up and tell others.