CLERMONT, Fla. – For five years, essay contest winners have been sharing their stories about hearing loss with Dr. Kristen Weinbaum, of Precision Hearing in Clermont.
“I do always end up reading them, and I have my people that I’m fighting for,” Weinbaum said.
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Her goal is to give the gift of hearing to deserving contestants in need of hearing aids.
“We have a lot of touching moments here, that’s what’s really cool about what I do, but obviously it’s all the more special when it’s a gift to someone,” Weinbaum said.
Weinbaum said hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars out-of-pocket because they are not typically covered by insurance. This year, the updated artificial intelligence technology included in the Oticon More hearing aid is worth over $5,000.
“The hearing aid has been trained with sound samples, millions and millions of sound samples, that the computer chip is basically learning from past experiences to make improvements to how it reacts to background noise and difficult listening environments,” Weinbaum said.
In past years, Weinbaum said about 15 people have written essays to win. She hopes to see even more this Christmas.
“I just think, at Christmastime especially, obviously it’s all about giving back,” Weinbaum said.
You can submit an essay for yourself or for someone you know until Friday, Dec. 10.
To enter the contest, email an essay to drweinbaum@precisionhearingfl.com, submit online at www.giftofhearing.net or mail to Precision Hearing at 4331 S. Highway 27, Clermont, FL, 34711.