A rare chance for children with trouble hearing

GUATEMALA CITY – Moises Savala traveled eight hours overnight by bus from his ramshackle town in the Guatemalan jungle just to get his ears examined.

He was one of 111 Guatemalans who audiologists Mike Mallahan and Shonie Hannah examined during a hectic six days volunteering in a Guatemala City clinic for the nonprofit group Healing the Children. Mallahan works in Mill Creek, Hannah in Mount Vernon.

Savala, 25, said that several months ago he went to a doctor in his hometown of Santa Elena seeking help for his longtime hearing problem. But he said all the doctor did was prescribe pills that didn’t seem to do anything.

Related Links

Hours are long, rewards are great

Mallahan peered into Savala’s ear with a magnified light and found a blockage in the middle ear space. The obstruction, which had probably been caused by a chronic ear infection, explained at least some of Moises’ severe hearing loss, Mallahan said.

He then ushered Savala into a purple-blue shower stall, the quietest place Mallahan could find to test how Savala reacted to tones of various sound levels and frequencies.

Mallahan was working out of a medical clinic run by the nonprofit Pediatric Foundation of Guatemala. The X-ray room in which he greeted patients was not designed for hearing exams.

The test results showed that Savala had nerve damage that disrupted the flow of sound waves to his brain. That part of his hearing problem could be overcome in part by one of the donated hearing aids Mallahan had brought with him from the United States.

Mallahan also recommended a more detailed checkup to determine if surgery could remove the ear blockage. But he realized that Savala may never get the treatment he needs, unless he gets it from another Healing the Children doctor or audiologist.

Savala, who planned to return to Santa Elena that same day, was one of several patients who traveled hours by bus to see Mallahan and Hannah. The hearing aids alone made the trips worth the time and expense.

They typically cost more than $300 in Guatemala. The pediatric foundation charged $3. Mallahan said Guatemalan doctors told him there is no permanent low-cost hearing clinic in the country.

Greta Betancur also received a hearing aid. Betancur, 17, started losing her hearing four years ago after she received medication for a throat infection, said her mother, Evangelina Alguilar, 50.

Mallahan said the culprit may have been the antibiotic Gentamicin, which gets rid of infections but sometimes causes total hearing loss. In the United States, the drug is usually used in small doses and patients are monitored for possible hearing problems. That monitoring often doesn’t occur in Guatemala, Mallahan said.

“We’ve seen it time after time: People who had normal hearing as a kid and then when they were treated lost their hearing,” he said.

Greta was lucky. She now has a device that dramatically improves her hearing. Thousands of other Guatemalans suffer in silence.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

The Victorian home sits on Whidbey Island. (Alyse Young for The Washington Post)
Whidbey couple thought they found their dream home — then came the bats

The couple had no recourse after unknowingly buying a home infested with thousands of bats.

The Snohomish County Jail is pictured on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Report reveals cause of Everett man’s death in Snohomish County Jail

Terry Crusha was booked into the jail on May 17. He died three days later, part of a string of deaths there.

Boeing workers file into Angel of the Winds Arena to vote on the latest contract proposal from the company on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Boeing Machinists prepare to go back to work after strike ends

After voting no twice, 59% of union members approved the latest contract.

Twede’s Cafe is pictured at the corner of Bendigo Boulevard and North Bend Way on Sunday, June 9, 2024, in North Bend, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Relive ‘Twin Peaks’ with cherry pie and damn fine coffee at Twede’s Cafe

The North Bend cafe, known as Double R Diner on the campy cult-classic, serves up nostalgia and a damn good breakfast.

From left to right, Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman. (Photos provided by the U.S. Navy)
Remains of Whidbey Island pilots to return this week

Lt. Cmdr Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman died in a crash on Oct. 15.

Everett
Everett men arrested in huge bust of Seattle drug ring

On Wednesday, investigators searched 31 locations, but suspects from Lynnwood and Edmonds remained at large, officials said.

The line for the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office extends around the Admin West building and onto Pacific Avenue Election Day as people wait for same-day registration, ballot issuance, and accessible voting services on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County voter turnout down from 2020

Meanwhile, local Republicans celebrated the national results. And Democrats applauded the local.

People board a bus at the Canyon Park Park & Ride Swift Green Line stop in Bothell, Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Big changes ahead as Community Transit mulls $254M budget

As ridership increases, Community Transit is planning for more service, security and a lower-emission fleet.

Police believe a driver fled a traffic stop and crashed into five people Saturday morning in Everett. (Photo provided by the Everett Police Department)
3 killed in Everett crash identified

Everett police are seeking tips about the early Saturday morning crash.

Everett
Everett man sentenced to 18 years for causing baby’s brain damage

Seven years after dropping his baby on a table, Joseph Bradley was sentenced late last month.

The L pod orcas surprised many on Whidbey Island when they returned to Penn Cove for the first time in over 50 years. (Photo provided by Sarah Geist)
Orca family returns to Penn Cove after 50 years

In 1970 and 1971, orcas were herded into the cove off Whidbey Island. This month, members of the L pod returned.

A house is completely surrounded by floodwater along Pioneer Highway on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 in Stanwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New gate is latest piece in Stanwood’s flood protection puzzle

The floodgate will drastically decrease reaction time when the Stillaguamish River jumps its banks.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.