Siemens to Donate Hearing Instruments Through Second Annual Partnership With Quota Int...( Program gives the gift of sound to ch...),Health

Program gives the gift of sound to children in need

PISCATAWAY, N.J., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc., one of the largest manufacturers of hearing instruments in the world, has renewed its partnership with Quota International to provide free hearing instruments to disadvantaged children.

Through its second annual partnership with Quota International's Sound Beginnings Program, Siemens will donate 100 free hearing instruments to children 17 and under who are in financial need and meet criteria set by Quota. Today, only eleven states in the nation mandate partial insurance coverage for pediatric hearing instruments, making it all the more difficult for some families to afford this out-of-pocket expense. The Siemens vouchers for families accepted into the program allow for the donation of a total of 50 CIELO(R) 2 and 50 Siemens Explorer(TM) hearing instruments.

"We are proud to once again partner with Siemens Hearing Instruments to help families avoid making the decision between the basics of life and hearing instruments for their children," said Deputy Executive Director Nancy Fitzpatrick at Quota. "Our partnership allows those families to provide some of the best hearing instruments available to their children, greatly enriching their quality of life."

One young recipient of the Sound Beginnings program, a girl named Lydia, has finally been connected to the sounds around her. Lydia was adopted from China by a couple in the U.S., who discovered that her previously noted behavioral problems were actually attributed to an undiagnosed hearing loss. Her new family applied for and was accepted into the Sound Beginnings program, opening a world of possibilities for little Lydia.

"Untreated, hearing loss can significantly impact a child's development and communication skills," said Dr. Thomas A. Powers, PhD., Vice President of Audiology and Compliance at
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