When Debi Mendiaz opened Texas Hearing Solutions almost three months ago, she knew she wanted to give back to her community.
This holiday season she’s giving a gift that keeps on giving, pair of free hearing aids.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders says about 37 million Americans have some level of hearing loss.
If hearing aids are needed, they can cost a pretty penny. The little devices can go for a couple of hundred dollars, the more advanced ones can cost up to $6,000. This price tag is the main reason why Mendiaz opened Texas Hearing Solutions.
With the cost in mind, Mendiaz selected three community members to get a free pair of hearing aids.
Mallorie Rodrigez was one of them.
At 24, Rodriguez was diagnosed with brain cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation caused her to lose some of her hearing. Six years later, she still has trouble hearing.
"I just tried to read other people's lips and figure out what they were saying," Rodriguez, said.
Rodriguez said she tried just about everything to improve her hearing.
"We’ve tried amplifiers, but it picks up way too much it was too much for her,"said Jessica Medrano, Rodriguez's mother.
Rodriguez said coping with hearing loss was frustrating at times, but her family and her sense of humor pushed her through.
Medrano recently connected with Mendiaz and signed her daughter up for a contest to win free hearing aids.
"It makes me very happy especially to be able to do it around Christmas time where they can enjoy conversation with their loved ones that they haven’t been able to in a long time," said Mendiaz.
After six muffled years, Rodriguez heard the sound she's been waiting for. Now she can hear all the octaves and tones in her mother's voice.
This holiday giveaway is just the beginning. Mendiaz and said she plans to give away even more hearing aids come Easter.
