When children are diagnosed with hearing loss, it is often devastating to families, and then figuring out how to cover the costs of care - that is, fitting hearing aids and maximizing their use - can turn focus away from the child receiving care and figuring out the finances. This foundation "buys time" for families to refocus on what's best for the child, knowing there's time to seek funding to cover the costs of audiological care.

The founders of The Decibels Foundation and the many families who volunteer to support its activities illustrate the astounding resilience of parents. They help other families while striving to understand and meet the needs of their own young children. The hard work and creativity of The Decibels Foundation has greatly improved the landscape in our region for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. The creativity never stops, on the fundraising end (who wouldn't be grabbed by Stink Week?) and on the giving end. Imagine a playroom for toddlers who can hear speech only with electronic gear in a room that has far less background noise echoing around than the usual classroom. The Decibels Foundation created it. Imagine such a parent-run foundation gifting significantly to the special projects of a major pediatric hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, where I am privileged to serve as the habilitative audiology program director. Decibels' gifts to our hearing aid loan bank, as one example, have allowed tiny infants to hear their parents' voices without waiting weeks or month for funding. The Decibels Foundation has visions for future projects, including training a generation of speech and hearing clinicians to learn from, work with, support, and teach caregivers to help children use their hearing and develop rich language skills. With support, The Decibels Foundation could improve the landscape and open doors for these children on a broader scale than our community.

As the Education Specialist for the Decibels Foundation, I experience first hand the extraordinary impact that the charity has had on the lives of children with hearing loss. The support and services that the children and their families have received through the Decibels Foundation have resulted in remarkable outcomes. Many of these children not only achieve but excel in educational programs in their local schools. They are able to access learning and participate in the social experiences in typical learning environments. They are competitive and contributing members of their school communities and the greater communities in which they reside.

Decibels is a compilation of stellar individuals who work tirelessly and effectively for children with hearing loss and their families. A bond is created among the Decibels family that reaches far beyond the day to day functioning. Families are connected to each other in extraordinarily meaningful ways and professionals are educated to offer the very best information on state of the art strategies to ensure that each child reaches his/her potential. Decibels raises the bar for all organizations serving children with hearing loss and their families.