Hearing Aids Iowa,Iowa Hearing Aid Centers, Hearing Aid Services-Hearing Unlimited

For the past 12 years, Smith and his wife, Judy, have volunteered their time, money and services to help others less fortunate than themselves. The couple has traveled to far-away countries, opening up a new world to people who have given up hope of being able to hear.

The entire Smith family now supports the cause as their daughter, Cami Lawless, sons Mike and Jeff, and Jeff's wife, Sharon, each is a hearing professional.

Somehow, in between all the work that goes with managing a business, the Smiths find time to help others though a project called the Hearing Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing hearing aids to people in need around the world, usually children.

The foundation backs approximately 150 missions a year and has given out more than 156,000 hearing aids across the globe since 2000. The Smiths have participated in 10 missions. They finance as much of each mission trip as they can themselves.

"It's an unbelievably rewarding experience," Smith said. "You take a 10-year-old kid, and after fitting him with a hearing aid, and after some time, he says his first words. If that doesn't melt you a bit, you're made of stone."

In order for a country to be considered for a mission, certain criteria must be met:

First, the foundation must work through either a service organization or church in the country where there is a need. It is up to them to set up dates and a location. They must also contact the hearing-impaired people.

Next, the foundation will send a group of audiologists to test the people. They will determine who is going to get hearing aids. Not all do because some cannot be helped with hearing aids. The testing audiologists then take an impression for earmolds and send them back to labs in the United States to be processed.

The Foundation then buys hearing aids of various power to match the hearing loss of those tested with the intention of fitting two aids to each person. Additional aids are ordered because there are always some who were unable to be present for the first testing.

Another group of hearing professionals then takes the hearing aids to the country for fitting. If there are 600 recipients, approximately 2,000 hearing aids will be taken to best match up to the needs of the people. They sometimes make earmolds on the spot for those who weren't measured or tested on the first trip.

The foundation also gives each recipient a year's supply of batteries. After that, the sponsoring service organization or church will receive additional batteries and then takes responsibility for distributing the batteries as well as sending back hearing aids that need repair.

Smith said the majority of recipients are children because prescribed drugs for serious illnesses and diseases in developing nations are more powerful than those used in the United States. The drugs may save the children's lives but cost them their hearing.

"I've seen kids who have walked three days to get hearing aids," Smith said. "We are changing peoples' lives. Kids who didn't have any hope can now compete in the world."