CLERMONT, Fla. – As many people begin holiday shopping, a Central Florida doctor is giving away a priceless gift in an annual essay contest.
Dr. Kristen Weinbaum is the owner of Precision Hearing in Clermont and has been serving patients with hearing loss since 2016.
“The other thing I came up with was just giving back,” Weinbaum said.
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Weinbaum is giving away a free set of hearing aids valued at $4,000 to the winner of her “Gift of Hearing Contest.” The contest is personal for her, as she has lived with hearing loss since the age of five.
“I don’t know what perfect normal hearing is, although I do have normal hearing in my right ear, but I have trouble if people are behind those plexiglass barriers at stores,” Weinbaum said.
She said the pandemic has caused an increase in patients seeking hearing help, especially with mask mandates.
“I’m hearing it every day from patients that they hate the masks, not for the same reason other people are just sick of wearing them, but because it really muffles the voice,” Weinbaum said.
Weinbaum will announce the winner after all the essays are submitted. The contest runs through Friday, Dec. 11.
“It’s always important, I always read the stories, every single one of them is touching, but this year it does feel even more important than usual,” Weinbaum said.
Those wishing to submit a personal essay should send it to Precision Hearing describing why they or someone they know would benefit from winning a pair of hearing aids but have been unable to obtain them due to financial difficulties.
Stories can be submitted online here, by emailing drweinbaum@precisionhearingfl.com or by mail to the following address:
Precision Hearing
4331 S. Highway 27
Clermont, FL, 34711