Last year, the World Health Organization estimated that 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to the use of personal audio devices and earbuds. But what about young people who already have hearing loss?
For 10-year-old Gabriella “Gabby” Banda, being born with hearing loss meant hearing aids and difficulty listening to music. According to Gabby’s mom, Teresa, who also began experiencing hearing loss in her 20s, “with her old hearing aids, Gabby would try wearing headphones which caused a lot of feedback.”
Now, thanks the non-profit organization Aid the Silent and Dr. Lance Jackson of the Ear Institute of Texas, she’s able to enjoy music through her new ReSound LiNX2 hearing aids. The Made for iPhone functionality allows her to stream music directly into her ears. “She loves them,” says Teresa. “She loves that she can connect to them with the iPhone. She is able to listen to music now.”
It’s not just the music streaming that she was able to experience either. The first time Gabby wore her ReSound LiNX² hearing aids “she walked outside and noticed she could hear the birds chirping.” At school, Gabby is able to connect to the FM system, making it easier to hear during class. An aspiring model and actress, Gabby has the opportunity to walk during New York Fashion Week on February 10th, 2017 for The Porcelain Teacup’s children’s couture clothing line.
About the hearing aids Teresa says, “She truly loves them.”
We wish Gabby luck as she takes the entertainment industry by storm!
