I think all of us appreciate knowing when we’ve made a difference in someone’s life. I’m certainly no exception, especially when it comes to making a difference about hearing loss.

With permission granted, I am sharing excerpts from three emails. One written about me and the other two written to me, by the same person. I had the pleasure of working with this man while at UCLA back in the early 1990’s. Now in his 80’s, he had been struggling with hearing loss and finally got fitted for hearing aids.

2017

This is the email he sent a fellow colleague after receiving and viewing the link to my TEDx video from 2017:

I am just overwhelmed by our friend’s competence and ability to discuss aspects of hearing loss that I have been experiencing for about 5-8 years. I have about a 15-20% hearing loss (per Kaiser audiologist) and hear most people well, but not my wife, not all the time. I found myself nodding vigorously with so many points Linnaea made.

2018

Recently I received this email from him:

Thanks to your life work in dealing with hearing loss, I today received my Phonak re-chargeable hearing aids from the Veterans Administration. I’m downright elderly, and as the reincarnation of Peter Pan, I am determined never to grow old! Well, I just love my new devices, and you have been a significant encouragement on my getting them.

I responded with appreciation for his sharing and congratulated him on getting his hearing aids. He further wrote:

I was in an old-time, noisy barber shop in Burnet yesterday and it was full of males all of whom seemed to know each other, all yacking their heads off at the same time. A year ago I would have heard nothing but a loud din. Yesterday I could hear individual comments. Just another surprise.
My VA-supplied aids are the Made in Switzerland “Phonak” brand and, the VA also gave me a Com Pilot device so when driving I can do hands-off answering of my cell phone through my hearing aids. The Com Pilot hangs around my neck on a cord. For someone who has stolidly refused to embrace technology beyond a flip phone, this is rocket science!

Needless to say, I was, and am, moved to hear about such a positive outcome inspired by my efforts.