Issue 3 - Fall - Providence Washington - Providence Health & Services

{Foundation}Little Harper Ward isable to hear thanks to alife-changing gift fromProvidence Health CareFoundation.Good VibrationsHigh-tech device opens up the world of hearing By Kathy MaurerMake aDifferenceYou can help care for the mostvulnerable in our community andsupport breakthrough technologythat changes lives. Learn more atphc.org/giving or call us at509-474-4917.Harper Ward looks like anyother 4-month-old. Sheis an adorable baby wholights up at the sound of her mom’svoice or her favorite musical toy. Butlook a little closer and you’ll noticesomething a bit unusual aboutHarper’s headband.It’s not just a cute baby accessory.It’s allowing her to hear.Diagnosing and treating herhearing issue as soon as possiblehas been key to her continued successfulchildhood development.Harper has a congenital abnormalityof the ear called microtia.Her right ear is underdevelopedand malformed, and her ear canalis missing, resulting in profoundhearing loss.When she was just a few weeksold, a series of evaluations at SpokaneEar, Nose & Throat Clinicrevealed that Harper’s deeperinner ear structures were normal,which meant that her conditionwas treatable.“That was really good news,”says Harper’s pediatrician, DeborahIcenogle, MD, of ProvidencePediatrics–North. But the clock wasticking. “We know that hearing iscrucial to early language developmentand social skills,” Dr. Icenoglesays. That’s why experts recommendthat patients receive the appropriatedevice before 6 months of age.A Prayer AnsweredHarper’s condition called for abone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA).Unlike a traditional hearing aid,which relies on a speaker in the ear,the BAHA sound processor convertsincoming sounds into vibrations.But this very high-tech piece ofequipment costs thousands of dollars—andwas not covered by thefamily’s health insurance.“We were on an emotional rollercoaster,” says Rebecca Ward, Harper’smom. “It was so exciting to learnthat Harper would be able to hear,but we were devastated to discoverour insurance had zero coverage forhearing devices.”While the Wards started planningspaghetti feeds and other fundraisers,Dr. Icenogle had anotheridea. She hoped an answer to theirprayers might come through theProvidence Health Care Foundation,the fundraising arm of SacredHeart Medical Center & Children’sHospital and Providence Holy FamilyHospital.“New technologies can be lifechanging, but they’re often veryexpensive, and we need to worktogether to make things happen.I called the Providence HealthCare Foundation and was delightedto learn that Harper’s need wouldbe funded.”Harper—and her parents—arehappily adjusting to her new worldof hearing. “I have nothing but gratitudeto all of Providence,” Ward says.“They have completely taken careof us from the beginning, during anextremely overwhelming time.”30 ● Fall 2012 Heart Beat