Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Miracle-Ear Foundation set up at Brown Chapel AME Church to provide “The Gift of Sound” to the hearing impaired of Selma earlier this week with free hearing aids.

“We want to provide access to hearing self-services for those that don’t have access,” said Rob Jones, Marketing Director for Miracle-Ear. “That’s why we chose Selma for this mission, because many people may not have access or lack the ability to travel and get access.”

According to Jones, an estimated 700,000 people in Alabama suffer from hearing loss.

Jones says those with the ability to hear often don’t realize how a lack of hearing effects one’s quality of life – if left untreated hearing loss can have serious consequences, creating what Jones called “risk factors”.

According to Jones, impaired hearing is detrimental to a person’s health, both psychologically and physically – Those with hearing loss, especially the elderly, are two to five times more likely to pay a visit to the hospital.

The Miracle-Ear Foundation’s “The Gift of Sound” program, the organization aims to eliminate those risk factors.

Jones said that in his seven years with Miracle-Ear, seeing the smiles on peoples face as they regain their hearing is the best part of the program.

Jones said a woman and her nephew came in to Brown Chapel earlier this week to be outfitted for hearing aids.

As the woman and her nephew received their hearing aids and were finally able to properly communicate with one another, Jones said the whole family celebrated.

“When people get their hearing aids they immediately get to experience the little things most people take for granted each day like talking on the phone or sitting around the dinner table,” said Jones. “It’s amazing to see that light bulb go off in someone’s head as they hear people talking in the hallway or at the next table.”