Solar Powered Hearing Aids for Children in Vietnam

I am an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at Duke University Medical Center (Walter Lee) and I am leading a 3 person team to provide solar powered hearing aids for hearing impaired children in need living in Vietnam.  The other team members are a nurse (Trudy Shanewise) and an audiologist (Julia Roskamp).  The project will partner with Vietnamese otolaryngologists and audiologists.  The hearing aids are provided by ComCare International, a non-profit organization that has a mission to provide these to the hearing impaired throughout the world.  The cost of one solar powered hearing aid is $125 and we are planning to provide at least 50 units.  

We are also partnering with Resource Exchange International (REI)-Vietnam, to help organize the trip.  REI - Vietnam has worked in Vietnam over 20 years and is trusted by the government and medical university hospitals.  They will assist us in screening and identifying hearing impaired children who are too poor to afford hearing aids.  A project will be implemented to follow children for 1 year so that the efficacy and impact of the hearing aids is assessed in these children.  

We hope you will consider supporting our mission - to provide solar powered hearing aids for children in need.  The hope is that this Vietnam project would be a model for other projects around the world to address hearing loss in children. At total of $10,000 will provide for 50 hearing aids, supplement travel costs (e.g. Visa), and needed medical supplies for the project.

There is a gift for those who contribute 20 dollars or more as well as for those who cover the cost of a hearing aid ($125).