Soweto, Lenasia
December 2014 South Africa
In Soweto, a team from Virgin Unite also joined us. We work with Virgin Unite at their clinic in Bhubezi, so it was wonderful to have them participate elsewhere in South Africa.
Ana Cruz-McGrath and her husband Martin joined us as well. Like Angie Lipari and Peter Hutchison, McGrath won the opportunity to join the team on a hearing mission through Operation Change. With a background in nonprofit work, Cruz-McGrath quickly grasped Bill Austin’s philosophy: “Alone we can’t do much. Together we can change the world.”
Working closely with the team, one of the McGrath’s first patients was a man named Joseph. He had been struggling with hearing loss since 1980, and his wife, Valentine, shared how difficult it was for them to communicate. She looked on hopefully throughout the fitting process, and we didn’t disappoint! Ana and Martin helped reconnect another husband and wife who had been struggling to communicate for more than three decades. There was laughter, hugs and tears of joy all around. Before Joseph and Valentine left, they returned for one more hug and to tell us they loved us.
We wrapped up in Lenasia, and the 11-week run ended the way it began — with a changed life.
With most of the team already gone and the gear packed away, 93-year-old Mahomed arrived to the site. He kept saying how he couldn’t hear anything and no one wanted to help him…he hadn’t met Bill Austin. Bill had the team unpack the gear and worked with the man to find the perfect fit. Mahomed left reconnected to the world of sound and with the knowledge that there are people that truly care about him.
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