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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2017-02-01, Page 91 Wednesday, February 1, 2017 • Signal Star 9 Local granted the "gift of hearing" Shaun Gregory Postmedia Network John felt like he was always missing words in verbal conver- sations with friends, and as the years progressed, his hearing began to fade further -but there was nothing the Goderich native could do -until he became one of 70 lucky Canadians. It's been about three years of John Sorensen constantly doing tests on his ears and searching for answers. Special- ists had diagnosed the prob- lem and suggested a solution, the answer to John's problem was a hearing aid. The difficulty is, Sorensen hadn't the funds to pay for the recommended equipment, with a price tag ranging anywhere from $1,000-54,000. With working to the best of his abilities at Food Basics and pay- ing the bills, Sorensen said no matter how much he tried; the needed hearing apparatus missed the cut in his yearly budget. "I was having trouble trying to pay for it, I wasn't able to come up with that type of money." Sorensen, 54, admitted to being frustrated at times, "I was having a lot of trouble hearing people talking." The most dilemmas happened in cars, Sorensen being the pas- senger recalls missing out on several words during chats with friends or family. Last Christmas, he was rewarded with the "gift of hear- ing," which meant his senses would be tweaked up a notch. ListenUP Canada was the organization to answer the call. They nominated Sorensen for the Campaign for Better Hear- ing; he qualified and received a "midpriced," hearing aid for free. Since 2014, Kristen Van Osch, hearing instruments specialists at ListenUP Canada in Goderich had to monitor Sorensen hear- ing. It concerned her that he could not afford a hearing aid. So when the confirmation came back that Sorensen's wish would be granted, Van Osch felt well, knowing her patient was finally looked after. "That's the rewarding part of my job, you get to see that dif- ference when they've been struggling for x -amount of years and then they put (the) hearing aids (on)," stated Van Osch Jan- uary 26. "They say I can't believe the difference this is making in my life. In an instant, after installing the hearing aid, which is about the size of a cellphone Blue- tooth, his earshot distance enhanced, "It's great, I can hear a pin drop," he said. Currently, the Campaign for Better Hearing has raised more than 5290,000; this money will go towards other recipients who otherwise would not have been able to purchase a hearing aid, due to their financial situations. "If it wasn't for this (dona- tion), I would still have bad hearing," ended Sorensen. if it's local, it's here goderichsignalstar.com Adult Retirement Community. Situated on 150 acres with a private sandy beach. discover this exceptional Adult Lifestyle Community on the shores of Lake Huron. 51 Cherokee Lane 2 Bed, 1 Bath . Spacious, bright single wide home with ramp to entrance sunroom. Wide doorways throughout. Eat -in kitchen features peninsula divider into beautiful living room. Office/den and back entrance mudroom. • Close to golf courses and shopping 42 Cherokee Lane 2 Bed, 2 Bath Covered deck provides entrance to this lovely custom designed home with 12 x 14 addition. Large ensuite from the master bedroom. Liv- ing room features fireplace and large window.. Close to golf courses and shopping Dianne Wolfe Sales Representative 519-440-1465 Visit Parkbridge.com to see all of Dianne's listings! To the right, John Sorensen, 54, from Goderich was one of 70 Canadians to be nominated for a free hearing aid, in the Campaign For Better Hearing. Parbxidge Lifestyle Coonnunities, 690 River Road W. wasaga Beach • R5P1®. 32 West Street, Goderich Land Exchange Ltd. Brokerage 519-524-1900 Independently Owned and Operated Check Out Our New Website "FOR MOST LOCAL AND ONTARIO LISTINGS' Mark McDougall Sales Representative Cell: 519-955-2522 Renate Sieber - Schlegel Broker of Record Cell: 519-531-1177 RemaxLandExchange.ca Amanda McClenaghan Sales Representative Cell: 519-525-8600 f rTor