Duke Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences (HNS&CS) — with help from generous donors — supports children with hearing loss and their families through a transformative community program. Duke HEARS (Honor, Educate, Advocate, Relate, Support) provides resources and a supportive community to help families navigate hearing challenges.
“The goal of the program is represented in our program name: Duke HEARS helps children with hearing loss and their families,” says Daniel King, AuD, CCC-A, the lead faculty member involved in Duke HEARS.
The program provides educational workshops and community events for families and community partners.
“These workshops provide resources, guidance, and a sense of community, empowering families to better understand and navigate their unique hearing journey,” Dr. King says.
Endowment Advances Duke HEARS
Support from the Powers-Owen Family Fund has been critical to the success and sustainability of Duke HEARS.
Established by generous supporters and launched in 2009, the Powers-Owen Family Fund is a permanent endowment established within the Division of Speech Pathology and Audiology (now within the Department of HNS&CS) at Duke University Hospital. As an endowed fund, its assets will assist children with hearing loss and their caregivers in perpetuity.
Every year distributions from the endowment are directed toward proven and impactful activities that inform and empower families in their efforts to enrich the language growth of their deaf and hard-of-hearing children, as well as the successful transition to school and beyond. These activities are so important to the communication and quality of life results of our interventions, but would not be feasible without the Powers-Owen Family Fund. The sustained support of this program has resulted in the expanded impact of its services and reach over the years.
“Ultimately, the Powers-Owen Family Fund has allowed us to reach individual families and make a meaningful difference in their lives,” Dr. King says. “Thanks to its generous support, we’ve been able to fund all of our community events and workshops at no cost to families and community partners.”
Durham Bulls and Beyond
Since 2019, Duke HEARS has held an annual educational workshop for families of children with hearing loss and had international reach when conducted remotely during the COVID pandemic.
It recently broadened its activities to include community-building events such as the Duke HEARS and Durham Bulls “Field of Dreams” event celebrating children with hearing loss and their families. They also provide educational opportunities for speech pathologists, audiologists, and other community partners who work with children with hearing loss.
“Our outreach has grown and adapted over the years to better accommodate the needs of our patients, their families, and community partners,” Dr. King says.
Going forward, the program is set to enhance its offerings with a new community event, likely in partnership with the Durham Bulls, and a specialized workshop in the fall aimed at expanding the team to include psychological and behavioral medicine experts.
Above all Duke HEARS remains committed to its mission of providing meaningful support to children and families navigating the challenges of hearing loss.
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