| Hearing loss is a hidden disability. As such it doesn't get | | | | re-grow inner ear hair cells, thus restoring their hearing. |
| the political and financial support that more obvious | | | | That research has provided a dawning of Rotarian |
| handicaps receive from government and private | | | | involvement. The small group of Rotarians decided to |
| organizations. Hearing loss is the number one disability | | | | try helping researchers by educating Rotarians and |
| in the world as well as the number one birth defect | | | | others about the possibilities of restoring hearing in |
| among infants . . . and yet, nothing has really been done | | | | mammals by regenerating hair cells. The thinking is, "If |
| about it. | | | | birds can do it, why can't we?" |
| Blind children learn to read Braille and graduate from | | | | Pankey, Rotary District 5020 Past District Governor |
| high school at the same reading levels as their sighted | | | | Dave Sclair, and Dr. David Cotant, also a Clover Park |
| peers. Deaf children even with help of American Sign | | | | Rotarian, formed today's RfHR and set about trying to |
| Language generally graduate at the fourth grade level. | | | | educate Rotarians and help raise 20 million dollars to |
| What starts out as a hearing problem is really a | | | | support the research program. |
| communication problem. If you've never heard, you | | | | Education efforts have included a PowerPoint show, |
| don't know what words sound like, so you can't speak. | | | | an 11-minute video, brochures, and making numerous |
| If you can't speak, you can't hear, you can't read, and | | | | presentations to clubs, conferences, and a booth at |
| can't write, how can you communicate? How can you | | | | the 100th anniversary Rotary convention in Chicago. |
| get a job? The answer is they don't. | | | | Today, RfHR has members all over the United States |
| Combine the birth defects problem with hearing loss | | | | and several other countries. Approximately 2,000 |
| from a noisy world and the loss of hearing as we | | | | copies of the video - Hope For Hearing Loss: The |
| grow older and you have a major problem. Even if a | | | | Hearing Regeneration Initiative - have been distributed. |
| problem is hidden, it's still a problem. And it won't go | | | | An updated version of the video is in the works. |
| away. | | | | Fundraising has continued without interruption and more |
| When severely hearing handicapped Clover Park | | | | efforts are planned. |
| Rotarian Gene Pankey learned about research | | | | RfHR has joined forces with the Hard of Hearing Hall |
| underway to restore hearing by re-growing inner ear | | | | of Fame ( which is dedicated to recognizing |
| hair cells, he put into action what today is known as | | | | achievement from the hearing impaired and educating |
| Rotarians for Hearing Regeneration (RfHR: What | | | | people about hearing loss, thereby reducing hearing |
| better way to tackle a world-wide problem than to | | | | problems. |
| address a world-wide organization? Several decades | | | | Research funds are still far from the overall goal, but all |
| ago Rotary began working for the elimination of Polio. | | | | donations help. 2006 saw matching funds cover half a |
| Today that goal is just about realized. | | | | million dollars, and in 2007 there are matching funds |
| Handicapped since a childhood by total hearing loss in | | | | available for the first million donated. RfHR hopes its |
| one ear, Pankey suffered hearing loss episodes in his | | | | publicity and education campaigns result in adequate |
| good ear. That brought him into the realm of those | | | | funding that allows research to move ahead quickly. |
| involved with research underway at the University of | | | | Hearing loss should not be hidden. By recognizing it, we |
| Washington in Seattle. | | | | may soon unlock the secrets of hearing loss and |
| Research has discovered that birds spontaneously | | | | hearing restoration. |