In New York, one little boy can finally hear the world again thanks to the gift of generous donations. Luke Szczepanski, only four years old, was diagnosed with severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss when he was just a baby. As he's aged, he has grown out of his set of baby hearing aids and needs a new pair. At Kindergarten age, he needs to hear now more than ever so he learns important development skills. That's where Lemon(aids) 4 Hearing Aids comes in.
The new hearing aids would cost around $4,000. Lemon(aids) 4 Hearing Aids is a non-profit that sells plush lemon toys to cover the cost of families who cannot afford the gift of hearing. The nonprofit later partnered up with the HearStrong Foundation to connect hearing-impaired individuals with healthcare providers and professionals across the nation. Together, they manage to cover the costs of many families who cannot make the payments for hearing aids without assistance.
Thankfully, this approach has been a huge success, especially with the Szczepanski family.
"Luke used to get so frustrated, but now he enjoys hearing new things like lawnmowers down the street, whistling, and birds chirping. He is even starting to verbalize more, which is exciting for us,” said Luke's mom.
Luke has already gone back to school and has shown improvements in his education and learning skills. Now that is good to hear!