About Hearing Loss & Turner Syndrome
Turner syndrome is a condition in which a girl or woman is partially or completely missing an X chromosome. According to the National Institutes of Health, it can cause infertility and heart problems and alter a female’s appearance. Those with Turner syndrome (TS) also have a high prevalence of problems with hearing.
Conductive Hearing Loss among those with Turner syndrome is estimated to be as high as 80 percent. While Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) affects as many as 90% of the Turner syndrome population. SNHL often appears in late childhood or early adulthood and is progressive, meaning the hearing loss generally worsens with age.
Hearing Aid Project & Turner Syndrome Global Alliance Team Up
Most cases of hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids. That’s why the Turner Syndrome Global Alliance (TSGA) supports the Hearing Aid Project to make it a priority to share the joy of hearing. TSGA’s sponsorship helps provide hearing aids to girls and women with TS who cannot afford hearing aids.
Get Started – Some Sounds are too Important to Miss
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with TS and would like to apply for a TSGA-sponsored hearing aid, please review the qualifications below and complete your application today.
Do You Qualify for the National Hearing Aid Project?
- Turner syndrome diagnosed by a medical professional
- Hearing loss diagnosed and documented by a licensed audiologist
- Recommendation for hearing aid(s)
- Low income – no health insurance
- Low income – insured, but your health insurance provides zero coverage for hearing aids
- Please note: HCOA cannot cover your deductible
- Resident of the United States
If any of these apply to you, continue below to see how to participate in the National Hearing Aid Project.
How the National Hearing Aid Project Works: A 3-Step Process
The Application
We encourage you to have the documents listed below available and ready to upload to your application before you apply.
- Copy of your Social Security Card
- Copy of your state issued I.D.
- Copy of your previous year’s tax return/SSI benefits
- Copy of your audiogram/hearing test from the last 6 months
Do you have all of these documents ready to be uploaded to your application? If so, simply contact us at info@hearingcharities.org to get started.
If you have questions or need assistance with your application, please call 816.333.8300 or email info@hearingcharities.org.
Making Hearing Aids Available to Others
Once accepted into the program, recipients will be asked to share their story to help pay it forward so that others may participate in the project. This personal online fundraiser will be short, and gives friends and family the opportunity to help.
Learn more about sharing your story:
LEARN MOREClinical Services
Hearing Charities is fortunate enough to have a trusted network of audiologists and clinics who have offered their time and resources to this project. Through as little as three appointments you can be evaluated, fitted, and have a follow up appointment within 6-8 weeks of being accepted into the program.
EVALUATION
Your hearing loss will be evaluated so that the proper hearing aid can be chosen from our National Hearing Aid Bank and sent to one of our labs for refurbishing.
If you have already been evaluated within the last 6 months, you can attach your hearing test to your application and move on to the fitting step.
FITTING
Once your audiologist receives the aid(s) from our lab you will be fitted with your aid(s), and your last required appointment will be scheduled.
FOLLOW-UP
During the last visit your audiologist will ensure that your aid(s) is still working properly, and adjustments will be made as needed.
The warranty on the hearing aid begins when it is shipped from the lab to your audiologist. It is important that your fitting be scheduled quickly to allow full use of the warranty.