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Cheboygan Audiologist Gives the Gift of Hearing One Hearing Aid at a Time

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May is Better Hearing Month.

According to the National Institute of Health, one in eight people in the United States suffers from hearing loss. On average, hearing aids can cost up to $5,000 or more. It’s a hefty price tag and a heartbreaking 86% of people cannot afford them.

A Cheboygan audiologist has made it her mission to help those who just can’t afford to hear—one pair of hearing aids at a time.

“We don’t realize that hearing is a gift,” said

It’s a gift that she works to restore for each of her patients in

“Our ability to hear our friends and family, you know, everyday sounds,” Dr. Eimers said. “And when someone doesn’t have it anymore it really changes the quality of their life.”

For the last two Decembers, Dr. Eimers has decided to gift a pair of hearing aids to someone in the Cheboygan community– absolutely free.

“There are people out there that I know have difficulty hearing and getting hearing aids for some people can be a real struggle,” Dr. Eimers said.

Meanwhile, medical assistant Ashley Robydek had been struggling with her hearing.

“It was horrible, not gonna lie, I missed out,” Ashley said. “I couldn’t even hear the fan going.”

She did have some hearing aids but….

“I had them six, seven years but it was outdated and I couldn’t afford a new pair,” Ashley said.

Little to Ashley’s knowledge, her coworker put her name in for Dr. Eimers’ hear for the holidays contest.

“I thought I was in trouble, I saw two people come in the office with white coats on I’m like uh oh,” Ashley said. “I broke down in tears because it’s like ‘somebody that really cares’ it really touched, really touched my heart.”

It was a dark time for Ashley. She was dealing with a lot in her personal life on top of navigating her hearing loss.

“It was just a mess,” Ashley said. “Since I got these new ears, everything’s been turning around for me.”

And for Dr. Eimers…

“When you surprise somebody you don’t always know how it’s gonna go,” she said. “It let us know we really made a good choice.”

And that choice gave way for another. After posting Ashley’s surprise online…

“It started getting shared and viewed,” Dr. Eimers said. “One of the hearing aid companies caught wind of it.”

They gifted Dr. Eimers a pair of hearing aids for Ashley, but that just meant even more giving.

“I used that as an opportunity to pick another person,” Dr. Eimers said.

Retired Ken Pratt expected anyone but Dr. Eimers to show up at his door.

“No, I wasn’t expecting that,” Ken said.

Ken loves doing puzzles with his wife but hearing his wife wasn’t so easy before.

“I’ve had lots of trouble hearing people talk and everything,” Ken said. “They give me some trouble.”

Even months later, he’s still shocked he was picked.

“When there’s other people out there probably worse than I was, and I was picked, it was a surprise to me,” Ken said.

He’s forever thankful for the gift from his new family member.

“I wish other people got the same advantage I got. It meant a lot to me. Everybody can’t have it but I wish they did,” Ken said.

And he’s far from alone.

“She means a lot to me, she’s changed my life,” Ashley said. “I don’t know how to thank her for it but I appreciate everything.”

As for Dr. Eimers, it’s all a sign she’s on the right course.

“I tell people all the time if you have the opportunity to give whether it’s big, small, you will never have a better feeling than when you help someone and make their life better,” she said.

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