FORT MYERS, Fla. — A Cape Coral audiologist gives the gift of hearing to folks in Southwest Florida facing financial hard times.
Fox 4 learned about a fundraiser at the Florida Repertory Theater, opening the door for more folks to get help.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price explain the important cause:
Maura Chippendale is a doctor of audiology in Cape Coralwho brings her knowledge to "Hearing the Call," a national nonprofit. Hearing the Call raises funds for qualified hearing-related charitable purposes globally.
Chippendale contacted Hearing the Call in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and signed up for a trip that she says "changed my life forever."
She was on a team of six audiologists, two audiology students, and five support volunteers in Johannesburg.
She went on that trip with the nonprofit founder, Nora Stewart — an audiologist.
They saw more than 100 patients a day for four days. They would clean ears, conduct testing, identify medical issues, refer them for medical treatment, fit hearing aids, and counsel people on hearing loss and hearing aids uses.
"To use the Grinch's terminology, my heart grew seven times bigger, and I knew I wanted to be part of that non-profit and that I wanted to bring this "give back" to my own backyard," says Chippendale.
Her practice sees income-eligible patients to provide audiological care and hearing aids.
"It's like getting a Christmas present," says Sybil Edgar, who is Chippendale's patient.
Edgar says receiving her hearing aid at no cost has changed her life for the past two years.
"When you get among folks, you need to be able to hear them so that you can converse with them and have a meaningful conversation," says Edgar.
She says her Medicare didn't cover her hearing health needs, so Edgar went to a seminar for "Hearing the Call."
Chippendale started her own Hearing the Call local project called Hearing the Call Southwest Florida. Her practice supports Hearing the Call Project by sending $10 from each private pay patient to Hearing the Call SWFL.
"We accept donated used hearing aids to refurbish and new donated hearing aids from hearing aid manufacturers when possible," says Chippendale.
If a hearing aid cannot be refurbished, it is sent to a repair facility that uses parts from these devices and gives Hearing the Call SWFL money to be used to refurbish devices for patients.
"We accept donations in my office for the Hearing the Call SW Florida accounts from patients who wish to give back, and we fund raise like what we are doing Monday," says Chippendale.
To help patients at home and abroad, her longtime friend and comedian, Kevin Nealon, will perform stand-up comedy on Monday at the Florida Repertory Theater for a fundraiser.
"It's very conversational," says Nealon. "It's very light-hearted and extremely funny, I will tell you that, and it's basically some observations, but a lot of it is very, like I said, conversational and a little bit on the dark side."
Nealon says he is no stranger to SWFL — his parents lived on Sanibel for 24 years.
"I've gone over the Causeway Bridge to Sanibel many times," says Nealon. "I spent much time on Captiva and Fort Myers, and I just love it. I love the people there."
His mother was a patient of Chippendale. He explained all of the traveling Chippendale does and how he's so proud to support her work for the community locally and globally.
"There's a lot of people that are not financially able to get themselves, you know, checked up for these kinds of issues," says Nealon. "So Hearing the Call, reaches out to them and gives them these opportunities. And you know from that they need to be funded."
Chippendale says she will continue to be part of "Hearing the Call" in southwest Florida even after she retires.
You can check out the event on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Florida Repertory. Tickets are $35.
