By McKenzie Brown
Sounding Joy, a nonprofit organization, focused on providing hearing aids to children whose families can’t afford them, so they can be the best they can be. The main goal of Sounding Joy is to try and reduce then chance of the kids later in life to become addicted to substances and to reduce the chances of suicide as a young adult.
At the age of 11, the founder of the organization, Christy Vogel was diagnosed as hard of hearing and unconsciously taught herself to read people’s lips. Because she occasionally responded slowly when having conversation, people assumed she was not smart, which damaged her confidence. Having no access to hearing aids because of challenges presented by finances, she struggled until her 20s, when she was finally able to buy her first pair. They transformed her life, helping her flourish professionally.
In 2021, Vogel founded Sounding Joy. Working with providers such as Tampa Children’s ENT, USF Audiology and John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, the organization has helped more than 100 children in the Tampa Bay area get hearing aids.
Dr. Cecilia Camacho is a board member and an audiologist who has fitted more than 70 of the kids through Tampa Children’s ENT. She shared a story about a 14-year-old boy named Logan.
She said, “His experience changed the way I work and provide the best to all children.”
Logan had an initial test done when he was 3. He showed very slight hearing loss when he started kindergarten, and Dr. Camacho recommended a classroom system in order to hear his teachers better, but she didn’t think that he had enough hearing loss at the time to justify hearing aids.
Dr. Camacho reported that Logan loved the classroom system and told her, “I want to hear well all the time, not just at school.”
Dr. Camacho said, “Ever since then, I look at all kids with slight hearing losses as being potential candidates for hearing aids. He has done great with his aids and uses them every day. His last set of hearing aids was funded through Sounding Joy, and he uses them to hear his family cheer for him from the stands when he is playing baseball, which he didn’t hear before he had hearing aids.”
Vogel mentioned that there are two days in the kids’ Sounding Joy journey. The first day is called ‘Approval Day,’ on which the kids’ parents are told they have been approved to have their hearing aids paid for by Sounding Joy. The second day is when they receive their hearing aids and they get pictures and stories about the fitting.
Sounding Joy is located at 330 3rd St. S., Unit 1706, in St Petersburg. For additional information, email info@soundingjoy.org or call 813-526-1870.
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