CLEVELAND — For local harmonica musician Glen Darling, years of quiet faded away this week, replaced by something far more powerful. The ability to hear his own music again.
“It’s remarkable. You know. It’s good to hear. I feel like a kid at 10 years old. Now I want to go run through the playground and holler,” Darling said after being fitted for his first pair of hearing aids.
For years, Darling relied on his left ear, not realizing how much sound he had lost on his right side.
“I didn’t pay it no attention at first. It’s a weird process,” he said.
Veteran and local owner of Miracle-Ear, Mike Gedeon, said gradual hearing loss like Darling’s is common.
“Fifteen years old to 70… the difference in your hearing between those years is massive, right? But it’s not noticeable because it has taken the entire course of your life,” Gedeon said.
And waiting to get it treated is also common.
“There about roughly 40 million people in the US that need to be using hearing devices. We also know that only about 20 percent of people who actually need hearing devices actually have them,” said Sarah Sydlowski, Audiology Director with the Cleveland Clinic.
Affordable options for older adults, however, are rare. While many insurance companies will cover hearing exams, most don’t cover the cost of hearing aids, though some do, and experts say it’s worth checking first.
“My insurance wasn’t going to pay for it,” Darling said.
For him, the cost could have kept the world quiet. But experts stress that hearing isn’t just about sound.
“There’ve been multiple studies from John Hopkins linking untreated hearing loss to all sorts of cognitive challenges. Including memory loss [and] early onset symptoms of dementia,” Gedeon said.
Darling’s hearing aids were provided free through the Miracle-Ear Foundation’s Gift of Sound program, which he learned about through a commercial.
The foundation has donated more than 54,000 hearing aids.
Other local options, like the Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, also offer sliding-scale programs to help residents regain their connection to the world around them.
Now, the notes ring brighter. The tones are clearer. But what Darling looks forward to most isn’t just the music, it’s the world around him.
“Go to a little spot in the park and listen to the birds. The water. And Lake Erie,” he said.
For Darling, that’s the sound of life itself.
If you're interested in learning more about the Gift of Sound program, call 440-961-8828.
