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Focusing on ears can have magical results. Just ask Mickey Mouse. And for young children with hearing loss, there’s a lot that goes on between those little ears that might need just a sprinkling of magic, too. That’s what the Disney Pediatric Kit is all about.
Early in 2008, Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc.,a leading manufacturer of hearing instruments in the United States, launched a nationwide campaign to educate parents and children about hearing loss. A major part of this program is Siemens’ alliance with The Walt Disney Company, an American brand that is recognized and loved throughout the world.
The cornerstone of the Siemens and Disney program is the Disney Pediatric Kit, a bright and appealing package that was designed to immediately involve children and parents by helping them in a positive and fun way to understand hearing loss. Inside the kit’s soft and colorfully illustrated Disney lunchbox are items that can help kids and parents ease the transition to wearing hearing instruments: a plush Mickey Mouse doll, dehumidifi er, air puffer, stethoset, battery tester, tool set and use and care instruction book.
And that’s not all. The most popular item that comes with the free Disney Pediatric Kit is a Disney storybook created exclusively for Siemens entitled Three Cheers for Bunny’s Ears! The full-color book stars Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and other Disney favorites, and introduces Bunny, a brand-new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse character whose hearing loss sweeps all her friends up in a fun adventure, with very happy results. Along the way, children learn about their hearing loss from friendly and familiar characters who are experiencing a similar situation.
“In the U.S., approximately three out of every 1,000 children born are diagnosed with some type of hearing loss. At Siemens, our goal with our pediatric program was to fi nd a solution for our audiologists so they could help their young patients begin their lives with hearing loss in a smooth and positive fashion,” said Dr. Thomas Powers, vice president of Audiology and Professional Relations at Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. “With Disney, we found an optimum solution, thanks to the Pediatric Kit and the world’s most famous ears.”
The fact is that with early detection (as early as birth) children with hearing loss can lead active, productive and fulfilling lives. An early diagnosis can better prepare children as they grow through the new challenges involved with hearing loss, as well as the typical trials and tribulations of maturing into young adulthood.
The initial concept behind the Disney Pediatric Kit was simplicity, usefulness and positive emotional impact. The goal was to help children and parents better understand hearing loss from initial diagnosis to the fitting of hearing instruments, as well as become familiar with the “tools of the trade,” the implements necessary for properly wearing and caring for a hearing instrument. Additionally, the kit makes a nifty lunchbox.
“As one can see, the Disney Pediatric Kit can help children emotionally. It also helps them practically. They learn how to take care of their hearing instruments and that wearing them is a modern solution, not an old-fashioned stigma,” said Powers. “And I wouldn’t be at all surprised that the Disney Kit helps many adults, as well.” The Disney Pediatric Kit is provided at no charge to pediatric patients via U.S.-based audiologists and hearing care providers when a Siemens pediatric hearing instrument is ordered for a child 18 or under. Visit Siemens Hearing Instruments at www.usa.siemens.com/hearing, or www.hearitforthefirsttime.org.
