Hearing Care for Ukrainian Refugees in Poland

This is the second part in a series about hearing loss found in Ukrainian refugees and the humanitarian work provided by the Heart of Hearing team. "We were evacuating, it was dark. I fell on my face and my ears were hurting. Before, I had some hearing, but now my hearing is much worse.” This account was shared by a Ukrainian refugee, who, after fleeing the war-inflicted country, currently resides in neighboring Poland — traumatized by the conflict and with aggravated hearing damage to make matters worse.Students from Northern Illinois University and University of Sao Paulo, Bauru, test the hearing thresholds of Ukrainian refugees before hearing aid fitting.The Heart of Hearing team in Kraków, Poland, in March 2023.Student volunteers with the Heart of Hearing team gave hearing aid orientation to new hearing aid users through interpreters.A child with hearing loss receives a pair of rechargeable hearing aids donated by ReSound.LOSING HOME AND HEARING A little over a year has passed since President Vladimir Putin first commanded his troops across the Ukrainian border. Since, the world has become painfully familiar with the atrocities of the war. Casualties are constantly increasing, and though the stamina of the Ukrainians is indeed remarkable, the effects of the conflict stretch far beyond what most of us can fathom. Among these are the hearing damages caused or exacerbated by blast injuries from bomb explosions and artillery fire. To address this issue, the Heart of Hearing team — an international group of audiology professors and students — decided to commit their time and expertise. Organized by Dr. King Chung, PhD, CCC-A, Professor of Audiology at Northern Illinois University, the team went on a humanitarian trip to Kraków, Poland, in late 2022. Collaborating with staff at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC), they tested around 150 individuals and identified significant hearing loss for nearly half. The team had struggled to secure sponsored hearing aids initially and only brought four pairs from the lab on their first trip. But after they reported their story in The Hearing Journal, ReSound stepped in and donated 125 rechargeable hearing aids. Since then, a second trip has been organized to fit the donated devices. With a task force consisting of Dr. Chung, Dr. Magali Caldana from the University of São Paulo, FOB (Brazil), Dr. Hannalice Gottschalck Cavalcanti from the Federal University of Paraiba-UFPB (Brazil), Dr. Valeriy Shafiro from Rush University, and nine audiology students from three of the universities, the team returned to Kraków and fitted 44 refugees. The Heart of Hearing team also screened the hearing of around 220 Polish school children. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED “These people are in a new country, they often don’t speak the language, they’re scared and uncertain,” said Dr. Shafiro. “We treat hearing as a separate thing, but really, it’s all connected. It’s the well-being, it’s the overall health. Gradually, the patients go through the fitting process, which in some ways is not particularly comfortable or thrilling. But, at some point, they burst out, ‘I can hear the paper shuffle!’, or ‘I can hear the birds outside!’ And that’s extremely moving.” One of the refugees fitted by the team was a 20-year-old girl who’d accidentally left behind her hearing aids when she fled Ukraine. The family couldn’t afford new devices, so when the team met the girl on their first trip to Kraków, it was very difficult to communicate with her. Due to a neurotoxic and ototoxic drug that was administered to her as a toddler, her mobility had been affected, and she had a severe-to-profound hearing loss. The team was not sure whether she had an intellectual disability or whether she was able to respond to sounds during testing. But then, after the team fitted the new devices, it gradually became clear that she could understand what was happening and she learned to use the hearing aid apps with ease. “It was very emotional. She couldn’t stop crying. I think because, for over a year, she’d heard nothing. She’d just been sitting there lost,” says Dr. Gottschalck. CHANGING LIVES Another amazing encounter was when a seven-year-old girl came in with her mom. The team needed to do earmold impressions, but at first, she was upset and didn’t want them to touch her ears. To distract her, one of the students suggested that she could make an impression of her mom’s ear. As the students started chatting with her, she was able to relax and continued with the hearing aid fitting process. After two weeks of using the newly fitted devices, her mom reported that the girl’s level of communication had been significantly improved and the teachers also noticed the difference. “Clearly, for a student to be able to hear in class makes a big difference. So that’s extremely rewarding to see. And that’s why this work is so important to all of us. It reminds us that we’re really changing their lives in significant ways,” said Dr. Shafiro. Some of the older patients were practically non-vocal before they were fitted by the team. One man from Mariupol in the Donetsk region was in a wheelchair and had difficulties hearing even before the war. Once the explosions started, he just stopped talking altogether. But then, after he was fitted, he began responding in full sentences. “It’s very powerful. Although we’re just changing their hearing, all of a sudden, they’re able to communicate with their families,” said Dr. Shafiro. “There was also a guy who didn’t talk much. And then during the consultation, his wife asked him, “So how is your hearing now?” To which the guy responded, “So good that I can hear your thoughts.” HOPE AND RESILIENCE Despite the exceptionally difficult situation, a shared impression across the Heart of Hearing team seems to be one of overall optimism and resilience — a description that clearly echoes how the Ukrainians are typically portrayed in the media. A lovely example was an 80-year-old woman who’d recently started writing poetry. Despite the trauma of war, she was optimistic. She even composed a poem to express her gratitude for the team’s services. In addition to the explicit value of helping the refugees, the work is rewarding and educational both for the professors and the students. Dr. Caldana explains, “It’s very important for the students to have different experiences and learn from professionals around the world. Sharing knowledge and understanding other cultures helps hearing care professionals to better meet the needs of the patients, and it helps us as professors to be better able to train the students.” CONTINUING TO FIGHT INJUSTICE In addition to the sponsored devices from ReSound, Northern Illinois University raised around $8,000 USD through crowdfunding to support student travel to Kraków and to purchase needed supplies. The Oaktree Foundation donated hearing aid fitting supplies, and MedRx calibrated the team’s probe microphones and donated a pair for real ear measurement. In summer 2023, the team will go back to Kraków to provide follow-up services and help Ukrainian refugees who haven’t been tested or fitted already. “Essentially, we’re fighting injustice in our own ways,” said Dr. Chung as she reflected on the motivation behind the project. “To quote Helen Keller, ‘Blindness separates people from things; deafness separates people from people.’ Everyone deserves to connect with other people. That’s why we’re doing this — using our expertise and resources to help people connect in a time of war. We strongly urge others to join our cause or support the Ukrainian refugees in any way they can. Let’s help them hear!”