Gossip Sheet # 44 - May 15, 2003
Editor: John Lehnen

Ian Elmes

PROGRAM - Dr. Stefan Fridriksson - Calling all Hearing Aids

Head Table: Mark Zammit, Guest Speaker Dr. Stefan Fridriksson, Earl Alton, Sgt.-at arms Peter Lumsden, new member Ron Sloan and guest introducer Ian Elmes.

Guests: Judy Leach, Heidi Sillanpaa, Jim Shannon and Bill Steen.

Heidi Sillanpaa and President Earl Alton

Special Presentation: Former Finnish in-student Heidi Sillanpaa gave a short presentation to President Earl. Heidi was an in-student with our club 8 years ago and since then has completed her education with a Masters degree in Economics. She is employed in financial communications with a multi-national metals technology firm based in Sweden. Her company employs 21,000 people in 40 countries worldwide including American Brass in Buffalo NY. She is here participating in a company 4-day seminar in Niagara Falls NY. Heidi will be married in August of this year. She wanted us to know how much she appreciates her experience here in St. Catharines and that we should continue to participate in the Youth Exchange program. She presented President Earl with a gift from her company.

Birthdays
May 23 Henry Becker
May 24 Doug Armstrong, Dan Patterson and Mark Webb

Head Table - Mark Zammit, Guest Speaker Dr. Stefan Fridriksson and President Earl Alton

Announcements

Judith Barker

President Earl: Hamilton Rotary is hosting their golf tournament at Dundas Valley Golf Club on June 3 at $175; contact Earl.

President Earl: our golf tourney scheduled for June 20 is not sold out of player position, sponsor positions or gift positions. It is a much better deal at $150 on a much nicer course; contact Earl.

Camp Enterprise was a success again this year.

Judith Barker: the Seniors Committee is appealing to the members to find out if there are any members they know who need some special attention and possibly a visit.

Happy Dollars

Marth Abra

Collected by Martha Abra. She related a story about two seniors, dinner and memory loss. She was happy that the armed forces has taught her son in a matter of two weeks what she was unable to do in 20 years, including such things as laundry, ironing and keeping his clothes off the floor.

Nigel Riddell: happy on behalf of Brian St. Hilaire who is off to Brisbane today for 3 weeks.

Bill Finley was happy!

Peggy Davidson and President Earl Alton

Peggy Davidson is happy to have her husband in PEI on a golfing holiday because she and her friend are going to New York City for the long weekend.

Liz Palmieri was happy to further promote the Niagara Community Foundation Breakfast meeting June 10 with Michael Sabia as speaker. Michael is a former St. Catharines-ite who now heads up Bell Canada Enterprises.

Doug Geddie

Doug Geddie is happy to announce that he and Nancy will be visiting their son and daughter in France this summer.

Cam Hathaway was happy to thank all who supported this year’s Camp Enterprise.

Dr. George Park

Dr. George Park is happy to be back from 3 weeks in England where the countryside was beautiful and the roadside is insufferable (traffic). He graced us with a shaggy dog story that was far too long to be repeated in this brief space. I am sure that George will repeat it for any interested in determining whether their ‘groaner’ is still functional.

50/50 Draw: Rob Reid, suffering from delayed reaction, won a chance for $86. He drew the eight of diamonds, someone should shuffle the deck because Peggy drew the seven last week.

Program
Dr. Stefan Fridriksson - Calling all Hearing Aids

Mark Zammit

Introduction to the Guest Speaker: Mark Zammit.

Dr. Fridriksson earned his B.Sc. in Anatomy and Archeology from Simon Fraser University. He practiced speech pathology in Saskatchewan where he met and married his wife. He completed his ENT Specialty at University of Toronto in 1998. Following this he set up shop in Orangeville where he developed a practice with 5 clinics in surrounding towns. He sold the practice and moved to Mexico to set up a charity Audiology Clinic. He then completed a postgraduate degree with the University of Florida. In 2001 he traveled around the world with his family and in 2002 he settled in St. Catharines. He operates a balance and hearing clinic here and teaches at Brock University. Stefan has two daughters and is of Icelandic origin.

Dr. Stefan Fridriksson

Dr. Stefan Fridriksson

Dr. Fridriksson spoke to us on, “Hearing Impaired in the Third World”. Approximately 480,000,000 people worldwide are hearing impaired (HI); they cannot understand speech. It is the most prevalent disability in the Third World. In Canada 80% of those over 60 suffer hearing impairment; but here in Canada, our medical system prevents most HI caused by disease and supports those who need surgery or physical aids. While 96% of the world’s HI are in the Third World, 99.8% of them could hear if they had hearing aids! In Canada the cost is $900 for a basic hearing aid; probably about $1,500 each in the Third World. 80% of the world’s people have family incomes of less than $100 per month.

Options for Action

1. Buy reconditioned hearing aids and send them to the Third World. In Canada we have a 30 day trial law; if you are not satisfied and return the hearing aid within 30 days, your money will be refunded and the unit cannot be sold again in Canada.
2. Create a factory in the Third World. Bribes are a fact of life for manufacturers in the Third World.
3. Collect used hearing aids, repair them here and ship them to the Third World. While the cost is $0, most people simply do not want to give them away.

Past Program Problems

1. ‘Hit and Run Charity’, that is, gather used units, fit them and leave, simply does not work. Hearing aids require periodic maintenance and repairs. A unit can become plugged with earwax in the matter of a month and be discarded through lack of understanding of the cause of malfunction. This approach is exemplary of good intentions resulting in a low quality result.
2. Programs relying on new or reconditioned hearing aids suffer from a very low level of units supplied annually with most people waiting for many years.
3. Collection of used hearing aids is a very low yield practice.
4. Government corruption and red tape are major impediments to the delivery of service.

To Ensure Long Term Success

1. Secure a supply of low cost hearing aids.
2. Train local staff in the fitting and maintenance of hearing aids.
3. Build a permanent facility for the dispensing and support of hearing aids.
4. Develop a buffer against corrupt officials.

How can this be achieved?

1. Set up a complete sound suite in the country of choice.
2. Convince a hearing aid manufacturer to co-sponsor and train staff
3. Purchase and install ear mold manufacturing equipment and train the staff to carry out this part
4. Train a local doctor in Audiology.
5. Train a local support staff.
6. Develop inducements for those in North America, Europe and Australia to hand in their used equipment.

Progress to Date

1. Unitron has agreed to train technicians in the manufacture of hearing aids.
2. Dreve has agreed to train ear-mold technicians.
3. Dr. Fridriksson has arranged for audio and ear mold equipment
4. Dr. Fridriksson is providing incentives for his patients in Niagara to hand in their used equipment.

Remaining To Do.

1. Raise Money in support of the endeavor.
2. Choose a site
3. Ship the equipment
4. Build the facility.
5. Train the Staff.

What Unknowns Are There?

How much will it cost to build the facility (dependent on the site chosen)?
How much will it cost to ship the equipment (dependent on the site chosen)?
What are the costs of the staff at the facility?

Dr. Ken Taylor thanked Dr. Fridriksson for his presentation. He remarked the through his experience in Mexico Dr. Fridriksson has developed great ideas and knows what to do and what not to do. He invited Dr. Fridriksson to make a submission to our World Community Service Committee.

Next week: “Bomb Disposal in Niagara!”

President Earl Alton, Dr. Stefan Fridriksson and Mark Zammit