An #Indiana high school band teacher can hear like he has never been able to hear before thanks to the students who helped raise money to buy him higher-quality hearing aids.
Jeremy Sterk said he had hearing problems throughout his entire life, and the problem has only gotten worse as he has aged. “I’d sit in a meeting and panic because I couldn’t hear anything,” Sterk told WLFI. “You could see the frustration on people’s faces.” Because of this realization, Sterk realized he needed to invest in higher quality hearing aids to do his job properly. “Because of my job and because of the hearing loss I have, it was also not just any hearing aids that would do it,” said Sterk. “It took some higher-end adjustments like that.” The $4,600 in adjustments Sterk needed were out of his budget, and his insurance would not cover the cost.
That is when Zachary Gretencord and Sterk’s fellow Tri-County Band students stepped in to help. “When we found out much they were, I think it was kind of a no brainer,” said Gretencord. “We needed to do something as an organization to help him out and get him what he rightfully deserved.” The group reached out to the community, holding a bake sale and writing letters to churches soliciting donations. With all the support from the community, the group raised about $5,000, Gretencord said.
The money was more than enough for Sterk to afford his hearing aids. “I heard my wife’s coat moving, and I was like, what’s that noise? I haven’t heard that before. So it’s amazing,” said Sterk.
For more touching stories like these, check out the hashtag #binspirednews and the link in bio. ❤️
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What makes me sad here is that he is a teacher and yet his healthcare couldn’t cover a medical necessity. This is a sign that we are failing on some level. I think we can all agree that healthcare options got so much worse thanks to the Obamacare debacle.
Great to read about kindness and compassion in these terrific students. ❤️
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They knew there was an issue with his hearing when he told them how great they sounded
Insurance doesn’t pay for hearing aids at all. They are so expensive.
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I have bilateral hearing devices. Without them I would not be able to do my job. $6000 for the pair. They are high end devices but being young I felt I needed to make sure I had the best. Health insurance would not cover them so I paid out of pocket and it wouldn’t go towards my deductible. Yet a man can get a penile prosthetic implant and insurance will cover. Kind of crazy to think I’d have to go on disability for hearing loss if I could not afford to buy my own with no insurance assistance.
Breitbart has a section that’s NOT right wing propaganda? Astounding
What?
They should be covered by insurance. Glad he got them but insurance should cover them
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After he finally heard the band he said ….I quit
So awesome. I love following your feed. It is NICE to see the wonderful things people are doing in the world. ❤️
Awesome kids
He must be doing sour notes and the students wanted to correct them.
What!?