One Team, One Mission

Tackling almost 3,000 patients in a phase 2 mission in Vietnam in two weeks may seem like a daunting task, but this is the type of efficiency and lasting impact that Starkey Hearing Foundation thrives on. In May, our Asia Pacific team did just that as they successfully accomplished yet another mission.

Personal development speaker Loren Lahav has built a career on traveling the world and serving others, but working with Starkey Hearing Foundation in Vietnam was, as she put it, “more special than anything I’ve ever done.”

“There were no egos,” Loren said. “It truly was one team with one mission, and that was to help the people hear. Whether it was a 100-year-old war veteran or a 3-year-old child, it was just about helping them hear.”

Loren and her 18-year-old son, Quinn Slocum, were a part of a group that served in Nha Trang, Quang Ngai, DaNang and Vung Tau over a period of two weeks in May. The mission was organized with support from local partners including VinaCapital Foundation and SONION.

“It’s amazing to know that over 2,600 people will hear something because we said ‘yes’ to going over there, away from our ‘first world’ problems and took the time to care for total strangers,” Loren said. “Maybe they will hear a bird for the first time, or a laugh.”

Loren was inspired to get involved with Starkey Hearing Foundation after hearing Tani Austin speak at an event. When the Vietnam trip aligned with her schedule, she knew it was the perfect opportunity for her and her son to serve.

Quinn, a photographer, was originally looking forward to snapping pictures of the trip, but he got so immersed in the mission that his two bags of photography gear were left untouched. “Instead of capturing the moment, I went and experienced the moment,” he said.

Loren said the mission brought them closer together. “I would be fitting someone and turn to see Quinn making everyone laugh and smile and my heart overflowed with gratitude,” she said. “One of his first fittings was an 87-year-old lady. She was so happy that she hugged him and grabbed his wrist and put her bracelet on his hand. I feel my relationship with my son was always extraordinary, but moments like this took our relationship to the next level.”

Loren said she is committed to making an annual Starkey Hearing Foundation mission a part of her Inner Circle mastermind program, so that other women can serve and have the same impactful experience that she had.

“We all talk about ‘someday I will do that, or I’ll do it when the kids are grown up,’” Loren said. “But all we have is now.”

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