A Cochlear Baha® recipient shares her experiences as a walk team captain for HLAA's Walk4Hearing.
Cochlear is proud to support the Hearing Loss Association of America’s Walk4Hearing as a national sponsor. Our commitment to the hearing loss community and to HLAA’s important mission is embodied by the many Cochlear volunteers who attend the walks and provide inspiration and support for so many.
McKenna Nelson, a Baha® recipient and Cochlear team captain for the North Carolina Walk4Hearing last fall, shared what motivates her to spread awareness through her involvement as a volunteer with Cochlear and the Hearing Loss Association of America.
What makes you passionate about spreading the awareness of hearing loss and its solutions?
I am personally affected by hearing loss as I have had conductive hearing loss since birth, and I was unaware of the Baha technology until I was about 15 years old. Although my childhood was great, I want to spread the word to others who may not be aware of the intricacies of hearing loss and the solutions available. If I can just give one child with hearing loss or their parent hope of better hearing and a fuller life, I have succeeded in my goal as a volunteer and as a proud Cochlear recipient.
How important do you think it is for young adults to make it a priority to give back to their community?
Giving back to our community as young people is not only an important way to help others but to grow as adults. Selflessness and generosity are two traits that our generation is accused of lacking and whether this is true or not, giving our time and energy to help the community benefits everyone involved. Young people should be encouraged and given more opportunities to create and implement new ideas for charitable works.
As a walk team captain how were you able to successfully encourage those who may not have felt as passionate as you?
One of the greatest and easiest tools I use in this type of situation are the statistics. Hearing loss affects millions of people worldwide and even if someone does not currently have hearing loss, they may at another time in their life or someone they are close to may be affected by it. A large part of being active in the community is not only helping others like me with hearing loss but also being thankful for the gifts I have been given and helping others who may not be as fortunate. I try to relay that message to others in order to motivate them to be involved.
Was your experience at the HLAA Walk4Hearing fulfilling and did you feel you made an impact on those attending the walk?
I felt very fulfilled by my involvement in the HLAA walk and I’m looking forward to more opportunities to educate and provide support to candidates and recipients as a volunteer.I made an impact on the recipients and their families who got to learn about Cochlear’s newest technology as well as the support and resources Cochlear provides such as Cochlear Family. Part of my mission as a volunteer is to not only make others aware of hearing loss solutions but also help erase the stigma of hearing loss and encourage those who need support. I strongly encourage anyone, whether they are directly affected by hearing loss or not, to join us at the Walk4Hearing to learn more about hearing health and demonstrate support for the hearing loss community.
Please join our Cochlear team at one of the walks this spring! You can register as a walker on one of our teams by visiting the walk site nearest you below.
2018 Walk4Hearing Spring Walks
- Saturday, May 12, 2018 – Milwaukee – https://hlaa.convio.net/goto/CochlearMilwaukee
- Saturday, May 12, 2018 – Westchester/Rockland – https://hlaa.convio.net/goto/CochlearWestchester
- Saturday, May 19, 2018 – SE Michigan – https://hlaa.convio.net/goto/CochlearMichigan
- Saturday, May 19, 2018 – Hartford –
https://hlaa.convio.net/goto/CochlearConnecticut - Saturday, June 9, 2018 – Long Beach – https://hlaa.convio.net/goto/CochlearLongBeach
- Sunday, June 10, 2018 – Littleton – https://hlaa.convio.net/goto/CochlearColorado
