YORK, Pa. — Paula Wildasin who works at the York Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Center in Spring Garden township was able to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity through the Miracle-Ear Foundation.
“It was the best time of year to go, during the holiday season, what better gift to give than the gift of sound?" said Wildasin.
Wildasin flew to Puerto Rico and donated hundreds of hearing aids to Puerto Ricans in need.
“We donated, roughly, over 200 and we’re able to help about 100 Puerto Ricans," said Wildasin.
She says the experience was very emotional.
“When we were able to put the hearing aid pieces in the patient’s ear, it did not matter if there was a language barrier or not, when you put the hearing pieces in their ear, their faces would just light up with emotion," said Wildasin.
She says it was especially touching seeing patients hear their family members' voices for the first time.
“When they showed up with a loved one and we were able to put the hearing aid in, they were able to hold a conversation, it was just a nice, pleasant exchange for them. For the first time, to be able to hear their spouse or their grandchildren, was very emotional," said Wildasin.
According to the Miracle-Ear foundation, over 150,000 Puerto Ricans are deaf or struggle with hearing loss.
“People do not realize that is a disability, and it doesn’t just affect the patient, it affects the family. These people start to suffer from isolation and depression. These people have suffered from hearing loss for such a long time, and they were not able to afford hearing aids, so this was the perfect gift to give them," said Wildasin.