Help Me Hear Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit public charity. Our tax ID# is 33-1167811.
| A Lifelong Gift |
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There are many wonderful charities that strive to make a difference in the world, but few nonprofits offer donors the opportunity to make a contribution today that will last an entire lifetime. Help Me Hear, a 501(c)3 nonprofit public charity, uses the funds raised from charitable contributions to provide cochlear implants to young children who otherwise could not afford them. Children receiving the gift of hearing will benefit from the device for the rest of their lives and will no longer be forced to live in a world of silence. Currently, there is a great need for cochlear implants around the world. Research shows that as many as 2 out of every 1,000 children in are born deaf. To date, there have been over 100,000 cochlear implants worldwide but those recipients are often wealthy or well insured. Unfortunately, 99% of those who could benefit from a cochlear implant do not have one due to their prohibitive cost. The choice to receive a cochlear implant – the choice to be able to hear – should be one that every parent has the opportunity to make for their child. Without Help Me Hear, parents of deaf children living in poverty could never afford to give their child the gift of hearing. Help Me Hear believes the best charities should strive to create self-sufficiency, strengthened communities, and positive lasting impressions on society. The benefits of receiving a cochlear implant are substantial. Deaf children experience deficits in speech and language acquisition, academic achievement, as well as, social and emotional development. With a cochlear implant, deaf children will be able to hear environmental sounds and their parents’ voices for the first time. Moreover, a cochlear implant will enable deaf children to learn to listen, communicate orally, and be educated alongside their hearing peers. Being able to hear and communicate orally will open many educational and vocational opportunities that are often closed to people with significant hearing impairments. A cochlear implant will increase an impoverished deaf child’s chance to live on her own and interact independently with the hearing world. Not only is this increased chance for independence and self-sufficiency beneficial for the individual, it is also beneficial for the family, community, and society as a whole. In a world filled with constant change, wasteful spending, and temporary solutions, Help Me Hear can provide a remedy to deafness that will last an entire lifetime. A cochlear implant is not a momentary fix or a drop in a bucket; it is a lifelong solution for a significant disability. Help Me Hear believes that every child deserves a chance to hear. We encourage you to participate in changing a child’s life by giving the gift of hearing. |
The burden of hearing impairment and deafness falls disproportionately on the poor, because they are unable to afford the preventive and routine care necessary to avoid hearing loss, or to afford [devices] to make the condition manageable. Hearing impairment can also make it more difficult to escape poverty by slowing progress in school and the workplace, and placing people in social isolation….The cost of special education and lost employment due to hearing impairment can also impose a substantial economic burden on countries.”
– World Health Organization