The article about Dorothy Hanson getting hearing aids and being able to hear different sounds again was wonderful (“The thrill of sound,” Oct. 24). I want to thank The Herald for putting the article in the newspaper and Sharon Salyer for writing it. I also want to thank Dorothy Hanson and Vicki Stokes for sharing part of their lives, and especially the Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight and Hearing. Theirs is a great organization that helps people who have a hearing loss and cannot afford hearing aids. They have a fantastic program!

I was born with a hearing loss (severe to profound) and have worn hearing aids most of my life. Hearing aids do not give you perfect hearing, far from it, but they do help. There are about 28 million people in the United States who are hard of hearing. Many of these people need hearing aids but cannot afford them. Most medical insurance doesn’t cover hearing aids. Also, on the average, it would take a person about seven years to realize that they do need a hearing aid.

I have belonged to the Everett area chapter of an organization called Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH) for the last 11 years and I’m still learning from them. Even with hearing aids, there are situations where people who are hard of hearing still cannot hear or understand other people speaking. SHHH has helped me learn what help is out there for me beyond hearing aids. SHHH is the nation’s voice for people with hearing loss. Our members include people with hearing loss, their families, friends and caring professionals. We are a non-profit group.

David Pearson, President

SHHH

Everett Area Chapter