Perspectives Winter/Spring 2019

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 7 Faculty Members, Students, and Donors Partner to P rov ide Hearing Aids BY TERRY MORROW NELSON, PH.D. On June 20, 2018, eight-year-old Makayla Young received her “new ears,” made possible due to a generous donation to the Jack Mills National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) Fund. Young was born with a cleft palate. When she started her therapy at the NSU Speech-Language Pathology Clinic in 2015, she was unable to produce words. Her clinician also noticed that her hearing aids were almost six years old—which was affecting her speech—and that her insurance didn’t pay for hearing aids. Today, Young speaks with clarity and enthusiasm as she brings joy to all those who know her. “Every student who works with Makayla wants to know when she is coming back so they can see her again,” said Erica Friedland, Au.D., chair of the Department of Audiology, a Jack Mills Fund board member, and the clinician who fit Young’s hearing aids. “At the end of our first appointment together, she told me, “Dr. Friedland, I don’t like you; I love you!” PITCHING IN Finding ways to serve people fuels the faculty and staff members in the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences (PCHCS). Through partnerships with friends of the college who generously provide financial resources, PCHCS faculty members and students use their expertise, networks, and resources to positively impact many lives. Peter Taylor, Ph.D., associate dean in the PCHCS Office of Academic Affairs, is a prime example. He heard about a request from Wren Newman, SLP.D., chair of the Department of Speech-Language Pathol- ogy, regarding a need for donations to the Jack Mills Fund and decided to learn more about it. “As Dr. Newman articulated about the work of the clinic and the patients it serves, I was humbled and realized how fortunate I am—how fortunate we all are—and all we take for granted,” Taylor explained. “The phrase ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ echoed in my mind.” In a private conversation, Newman said the Jack Mills Fund was raising money to buy hearing aids for patients, and that even small donations could have an impact. Almost immediately, Taylor offered to pay for Young’s hearing aids. A few weeks later, Taylor supplied the money for the hearing aids, and others began following his lead. Dona- tions came from students all over the country—small donations that quickly added up. Within a few weeks, the college purchased hearing aids for three people. Because of his generous donation, Taylor was invited to meet one of the lucky people who received help from his gift. As he walked into the Speech-Language Pathology Clinic, he met Young. Tambi Braun, SLP.D., associate professor and adviser to the PCHCS Student Government Association, who oversees Young’s speech treatment, suggested Young read aloud to Taylor from one of her favorite books—and a friendship was made. “She has so many physical challenges, but her spirit is so positive, uplifting, and charming. She literally made me cry. We sat down together, and Makayla began to read while her mother watched. As she cont- inued to read to me, I was overcome, and my eyes Tambi Braun, SLP.D., has a speech-language session with Makayla Young.