For Austin, the CEO of Starkey Laboratories, Inc. and the founder of the Starkey Hearing Foundation, that business—like similar business in Mexico, India, and Turkey—was fitting hearing aids free of charge to more than 200 people too poor to afford them. But that attitude vanished when one of Austin’s assistants interrupted a fitting to deliver some daunting news: through sheer word of mouth, the group of 287 scheduled people outside had now swelled to a crowd of over 500.
It was impossible to accommodate everyone, Austin’s staff told him. They would have to start sending people home.
Austin’s reply was instantaneous.
“I said, ‘we’re doing it,’” Austin recalled. “People said it was impossible, but I said, ‘we don’t turn people away.’”
Working through the night, Austin made good on his word: all 520 people left with the gift of hearing.
Good charity stuff! Giving the gift of hearing to the poor.
“I had the opportunity to see people hearing again after having these profound losses and being shut away from life, all because of their hearing impairment,” Austin said. “I saw the value of the work, and you don’t have to experience losing people like surgeons can. I told myself, ‘There’s no morbidity here, and you really get to help people.’”
What Starkey is doing is a good thing. Never under-estimate the value and gift of hearing.
I wonder if free cochlear implants would be given out to the poor?
Yep. It's a start.
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