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Jana Vrublevskaya
Jana Vrublevskaya wears Conversa.NT Moda™ open fit hearing instruments bilaterally. The open fit allows her to hear low frequencies more naturally since her ears are not occluded with earmolds. Conversa.NT Moda open fit hearing instruments are a good choice for Jana since they do not require earmold replacements after six to twelve months, something she needs since she is still growing, and something not readily available in her homeland of Belarus.
Jana is one of several children who came to visit Canada with the Canadian Friends of Chernobyl's Children. Canadian Friends of Chernobyl's Children is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to Belarussian victims from the fallout of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Since 1989, more than 150,000 children have been sent for health respites to over 20 countries. Children, ranging in age from seven to 17, stay with host families for six to 12 weeks for a rest from their contaminated environment. While in Canada, many of the children gain weight and experience noticeable improvements in their general health that would be impossible if they stayed in Belarus year round.
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The health implications of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of April 26, 1986 are not entirely known. The explosion, which some experts say was the equivalent of 200 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs, blew radioactive particles into Belarus and the surrounding area, contaminating about 40 per cent of the country. It is estimated that the soil and food chain in the area will remain contaminated until the year 2135. Today, about 270,000 people are living on land that is radioactively contaminated and many children and adults are suffering from increased incidence of certain diseases and cancers.
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Jana met Bruce Brown, Vice President of Marketing at Unitron Hearing, through Canadian Friends of Chernobyl’s Children. The Browns were Jana’s host family during the summer of 2005. As part of her stay, Jana was taken for medical and dental check ups since access to quality healthcare in her home country are limited. She received a new set of hearing aids after a hearing examination confirmed that she had mild high frequency sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. Jana's parents were delighted that Jana received hearing aids since Jana's teacher noticed she had difficulty hearing others during class.
In the month and a half that Jana was in Canada, her English improved dramatically.She enjoyed going on trips and to summer camps with the Brown’s two daughters. Jana says that she really enjoyed going to the golf and gymnastics camps, seeing Niagara Falls and visiting Muskoka. Jana finds that she can hear her classmates and her teacher much better now. She adapted to her Conversa.NT Moda hearing aids very quickly and she finds them comfortable. |
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Jana's audiogram illustrating mild sensorineural
hearing loss between 500 and 8000 Hz (left ear) and
mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss
between 1000 and 8000 Hz (right ear). |
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She also likes that the hearing aids are not noticeable, and that she no longer has to sit at the front of the class to hear. Her parents are very appreciative of how they are helping Jana everyday.
"Being a host family for Canadian Friends of Chernobyl's Children has been a rewarding experience of all of us," says Brown. "We look forward to seeing Jana again soon."
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Jana will be returning to the Brown family this year, where we will be able to check in on her progress. For more information about Canadian Friends of Chernobyl’s Children visit the Elmira chapter at http://home.golden.net/~cfcc/ |
Bruce Brown, Vice President of Marketing, and Jana |
Additional Resource:
National Geographic’s Chernobyl Disaster’s Health Impact Remains Cloudy – http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0426_040426_chernobyl_2.html
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