Imagine watching someone who’s lived with silence for a lifetime, or even years, suddenly hearing the voices and laughter of people around them. Now imagine that happening again and again—dozens of times in just one morning.

Thanks to Montefiore Einstein’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and global hearing technology company Starkey, that was the joyful scene at a community health event where more than 100 preselected New Yorkers, from the Bronx and beyond, received free state-of-the-art hearing aids.

The event was held at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and included friends and family traveling from within New York state, along with audiologists and staff members from the participating organizations. Spirits were high and tears of joy were in abundance.

“It was just an amazing day,” said Laura L. Tocci, AuD, Director, Audiology Speech Voice, Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Montefiore Einstein, and Assistant Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. “The first person to receive hearing aids, a 10-year-old girl with physical disabilities, was so happy she couldn’t stop smiling. She wanted to talk to everyone, just hugging and high-fiving everybody. It was like her world opened up.”

Hearing loss can be lonely and isolating, Tocci noted, and “when you give someone back the ability to communicate, you change their life.”

Montefiore Einstein participates annually in hearing health events designed to serve people who face challenges accessing healthcare. “People think these events are mostly for children and the elderly, but a lot of the people there are young, working people with jobs, who may not have insurance or the money to get hearing aids,” Tocci said.

Every participant had been referred by an audiologist at Montefiore Einstein or another local healthcare system, and each had completed a battery of hearing tests in the weeks prior to the event. Audiologists then worked with Starkey so the proper devices—models that best suited the individual’s hearing and lifestyle needs—were ordered and ready for distribution on the big day.

Bill Austin, Starkey Founder, Owner and Chairman, flew in from the company’s Minneapolis headquarters so he could personally fit each patient with their new hearing aids. The fitting process involves inserting the devices for the first time and making sure they’re correctly positioned, comfortable and adjusted for proper amplification. Once their devices were in place, participants moved through a series of stations where they were shown how to charge and clean the devices and how to use the many digital features including alerts they once could not hear. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a celebratory lunch, with special guests including community activists and supporters of this initiative Luis A. Miranda Jr. and Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda, parents of songwriter and actor Lin Manuel Miranda, along with U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat, of New York’s 13th Congressional District.

Audiologists at Montefiore Einstein will work with Starkey to make sure all of the patients receive follow-up care and service for their new hearing aids. Meanwhile, Tocci and the team of audiologists have already started a list of patients who could benefit from participation in the next hearing aid event, planned for fall.

“The people we help at Montefiore Einstein come from every walk of life, and this program is open to everybody, to anyone who needs it,” she said. “We’re getting bigger and bigger, opening new locations, but we’re still carrying out our original mission, which is to take care of people throughout the Bronx.”

Make an appointment for a hearing test with Montefiore Einstein Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at 718-920-4646.