Braden Baker, a 10-year-old deaf boy living in Fort Worth, Texas, learned an important lesson when his pet Shih Tzu, appropriately named Chewy, ate two pairs of hearing devices. After Chewy devoured the first pair, Braden’s parents had a long talk with him about responsibility.
According to them, each pair of hearing devices cost about $4,000, so they wanted to make sure that Braden understood the importance of protecting his hearing aids.
Most Americans Can’t Afford Hearing Aid Replacements
During the conversation, Braden also learned that many people don’t have enough money to buy replacement hearing aids. Considering that six in 10 Americans have less than $500 in their savings accounts, most people wouldn’t have enough cash to purchase replacements.
Braden understood that he was lucky that his family could afford to purchase new hearing aids after Chewy got his teeth on the old ones. He soon set out to make life easier for other people with hearing problems.
Braden Baker Raises $15,000 for Oticon Hearing Foundation
Braden created a GoFundMe page to raise money for Oticon Hearing Foundation. Braden’s hearing aids come from Oticon. The boy published short videos on social media sites. Obviously, his message reached a lot of people.
At first, Braden expected to raise $1,000. When he surpassed that amount within a week, he increased the funding goal to $3,000. Within two months, he had raised more than $15,000 for the foundation. He says he got the idea to raise money for charity from Ellen DeGeneres.
Recently, Braden and his mother hand-delivered a $15,000 check to Oticon Hearing Foundation in Somerset, New Jersey. The money will go toward helping those in need afford new hearing aids.
Lowering the Price of Hearing Aids
Braden has done an excellent job raising money for other people with hearing problems. Unfortunately, even his efforts can’t make hearing aids affordable for everyone.
DentalSave’s saving opportunities can significantly lower the costs of hearing aids, hearing exams and diagnostic services. DentalSave offers a 40 percent discount on hearing services and guarantees that it will beat any local quote for hearing aids by 5 percent. DentalSave members also receive two years of free batteries.
Given the high price of hearing aids, 5 percent could help DentalSave members save hundreds of dollars when they need new devices.
