The world has opened up for Somerset woman

Marie Lopatta of Somerset didn't realize how much she was missing. Then she got new hearing aids and the world has opened up for her again.

She was getting frustrated that she could not hear her family and friends and was constantly asking them to repeat what they said. Communicating with everyone was getting exceedingly difficult as well as being able to hear on the phone or watching TV. Lopatta said she was missing the sounds of the birds singing. Growing more frustrated, Lopatta decided to reach out to Miracle-Ear.

"My family was getting very upset with me because I kept saying 'What?'," she said. "It's a whole new world for me now. I can hear birds singing outside, my parakeets chirping inside. I'm so happy that somebody could help me."

Lopatta got her hearing aids through Miracle-Ear® of Somerset, part of the nationwide hearing solution franchise, partnered with the Miracle-Ear Foundation. Miracle-Ear Hearing Instrument Specialist, Amy Dunmyer, tested Lopatta and confirmed the need for two hearing aids, but quickly determined that the cost of hearing aids was out of her reach.

More:Miracle-Ear Foundation enhances quality of life for Somerset resident

"I couldn't afford to get them. My husband was sick at the time," Lopatta said.

"Marie has moderate to severe hearing loss. Her insurance didn't help to cover the cost of the hearing aids," Dunmyer said.

Dunmyer suggested that she apply for assistance from the Miracle-Ear Foundation. Lopatta was approved and fitted with donated hearing aids as well as life-time aftercare.

"Miracle Ear Foundation is an amazing program. She qualified for the program," Dunmyer said. "She was one of the most meaningful hearing aid fittings I've ever done. The second I put them in her ears, she was very emotional. We were all crying. She was amazing."

More:"Make with Me" art project, The Makery on 601

"I'm so happy with them," she said. "When I got them, I cried. My granddaughter who is 9, would talk so quietly and I'd say 'Meme can't hear you.' She loves it now that I can hear her."

The Foundation partnered with local franchisee, Julie Beall-McKelvey and her staff to give the Gift of Sound to Lopatta through support of Miracle-Ear franchise owners and donors across the country. The Miracle-Ear Foundation has donated more than 34,000 hearing aids to more than 18,000 children and adults nationwide.

“It can be easy to underestimate the value of hearing; however, it affects nearly every aspect of our lives,” said Beall-McKelvey in a press release. “Hearing loss can inhibit everything from the enjoyment of simple pleasures to meaningful relationships, fulfilling work or education and overall wellbeing. That is why the staff at all 34 of our Miracle-Ear locations are happy to donate resources and time to enhance the lives of others.”

More than 48 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, and more than seven million people who need hearing aids cannot afford them.

The Somerset Miracle-Ear franchise has supported adults and children in Somerset for many years, providing hundreds of hearing aids to those in need.

"Anyone struggling to hear and are not sure they can afford hearing aids should come see us," Dunmyer, who lives in Somerset, said. "We do free hearing tests. We take them through the process of applying for the program. We find out within a week if they qualify. It's an amazing program."

More:Learning Lamp Somerset groundbreaking

“We’re proud to support better hearing in our community,” said Beall-McKelvey. “When given the chance to improve lives through the gift of sound, we want to ensure every Somerset resident has the opportunity.”

"It wasn't a difficult experience for me. Amy was very helpful with me," Lapotta said. "She was very wonderful to me."

The Miracle-Ear Foundation is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that has supported underserved adults and children across the country with their hearing healthcare needs for more than 30 years. Miracle-Ear offers free hearing tests at its more than 1,500 franchised locations across the U.S. To take a simple test to determine if you could benefit from a free hearing check-up, visit miracle-ear.com. For more information, visit www.miracle-earfoundation.org.

"I didn't realize I was so hard of hearing," Lopatta said. "I have a whole new look on life. The world has opened up to me again."

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset woman receives hearing aids through program