Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Hearing aid gives Carrie Earnhardt, 107, new lease on life
Tue, Oct 18, 2005
By Michelle Grace Lyerly
For the Salisbury Post
When 107-year-old Carrie Jefferson Poole Earnhardt was checked into the hospital in August, nurses made a fast discovery:
Mrs. Earnhardt's hearing aid was nowhere to be found.
It wasn't the first time the hearing aid had gone missing. On other occasions, members of Mrs. Earnhardt's family had discovered it in a variety of locations — snuff cans, included.
"Before she went to the hospital, she lost her hearing aid," said Mrs. Earnhardt's niece, Shirley Cranford. "This lady is a one-way conversation."
Family members made a quick search for the errant hearing aid, but it couldn't be found. Mrs. Earnhardt is a resident of The Meadows of Rockwell Retirement Center and workers there joined in the search for the hearing aid.
No one had any luck in finding it.
"The only way she could find it is when the hearing aid sneezed," said Eva Millsaps, activities director at The Meadows.
Fortunately for Mrs. Earnhardt, the folks at Salisbury's Beltone Hearing Aid Center learned of her plight and came to her aid. They outfitted her with a new hearing aid, which made all the difference in the world as far as Mrs. Earnhardt's hearing is concerned.
"It'll make a difference," Millsaps said. "The last two months she wasn't able to hear."
The lack of hearing affected Mrs. Earnhardt's baseball watching. She's an ardent fan of the Atlanta Braves — she has an autographed photo of Chipper Jones in her room — and rarely misses one of their games on television.
Without a hearing aid, Mrs. Earnhardt spent most of her time sleeping instead of watching ball games.
Beltone's Lee Wade outfitted Mrs. Earnhardt with her new hearing aid, then laughed that the company was giving her a discount on its cost.
"This is a freebie," he told Mrs. Earnhardt. "You don't have to pay for it."
According to Marie Wade, another Beltone representative, Mrs. Earnhardt is the oldest person to ever be outfitted with a hearing aid by the company.
Mrs. Earnhardt is also apparently the oldest Rowan County resident.
"How you feeling?" Wade asked Mrs. Earnhardt upon fitting her with the hearing aid.
"Pretty good," she immediately replied.
Mrs. Earnhardt is a distant relative of Dale Earnhardt by marriage to her late husband, John.
Mrs. Earnhardt was born Carrie Jefferson Poole in Richmond, Va., on Aug. 14, 1898. She was the second-oldest of 10 children. She has lived in Rowan County most of her life.
Mrs. Earnhardt is a mother of five and has 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren. She has one living brother, New London's Buford Poole, who was born in 1916.
Mrs. Earnhardt's two nieces, Cranford and her sister, Flossie Peele, were on hand when she was outfitted with her new hearing aid. They also brought two of Mrs. Earnhardt's favorite foods — chicken wings and deviled eggs — so they could celebrate the occasion.
Mrs. Earnhardt wore a red corsage, then sang a song for the group whose members turned out for the hearing aid presentation. Mrs. Earnhardt used to be part of a singing group along with her daughters, Viola and Mary. They called themselves the Piedmont Yodelers.
"It's so important for the residents to communicate and this hearing aid will help her," said Carol Young, a social worker at The Meadows. "She's special."
Source: http://www.salisburypost.com/
By Michelle Grace Lyerly
For the Salisbury Post
When 107-year-old Carrie Jefferson Poole Earnhardt was checked into the hospital in August, nurses made a fast discovery:
Mrs. Earnhardt's hearing aid was nowhere to be found.
It wasn't the first time the hearing aid had gone missing. On other occasions, members of Mrs. Earnhardt's family had discovered it in a variety of locations — snuff cans, included.
"Before she went to the hospital, she lost her hearing aid," said Mrs. Earnhardt's niece, Shirley Cranford. "This lady is a one-way conversation."
Family members made a quick search for the errant hearing aid, but it couldn't be found. Mrs. Earnhardt is a resident of The Meadows of Rockwell Retirement Center and workers there joined in the search for the hearing aid.
No one had any luck in finding it.
"The only way she could find it is when the hearing aid sneezed," said Eva Millsaps, activities director at The Meadows.
Fortunately for Mrs. Earnhardt, the folks at Salisbury's Beltone Hearing Aid Center learned of her plight and came to her aid. They outfitted her with a new hearing aid, which made all the difference in the world as far as Mrs. Earnhardt's hearing is concerned.
"It'll make a difference," Millsaps said. "The last two months she wasn't able to hear."
The lack of hearing affected Mrs. Earnhardt's baseball watching. She's an ardent fan of the Atlanta Braves — she has an autographed photo of Chipper Jones in her room — and rarely misses one of their games on television.
Without a hearing aid, Mrs. Earnhardt spent most of her time sleeping instead of watching ball games.
Beltone's Lee Wade outfitted Mrs. Earnhardt with her new hearing aid, then laughed that the company was giving her a discount on its cost.
"This is a freebie," he told Mrs. Earnhardt. "You don't have to pay for it."
According to Marie Wade, another Beltone representative, Mrs. Earnhardt is the oldest person to ever be outfitted with a hearing aid by the company.
Mrs. Earnhardt is also apparently the oldest Rowan County resident.
"How you feeling?" Wade asked Mrs. Earnhardt upon fitting her with the hearing aid.
"Pretty good," she immediately replied.
Mrs. Earnhardt is a distant relative of Dale Earnhardt by marriage to her late husband, John.
Mrs. Earnhardt was born Carrie Jefferson Poole in Richmond, Va., on Aug. 14, 1898. She was the second-oldest of 10 children. She has lived in Rowan County most of her life.
Mrs. Earnhardt is a mother of five and has 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren. She has one living brother, New London's Buford Poole, who was born in 1916.
Mrs. Earnhardt's two nieces, Cranford and her sister, Flossie Peele, were on hand when she was outfitted with her new hearing aid. They also brought two of Mrs. Earnhardt's favorite foods — chicken wings and deviled eggs — so they could celebrate the occasion.
Mrs. Earnhardt wore a red corsage, then sang a song for the group whose members turned out for the hearing aid presentation. Mrs. Earnhardt used to be part of a singing group along with her daughters, Viola and Mary. They called themselves the Piedmont Yodelers.
"It's so important for the residents to communicate and this hearing aid will help her," said Carol Young, a social worker at The Meadows. "She's special."
Source: http://www.salisburypost.com/
