At the next meeting of the NYC chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America, Meghan Despotidis, Columbia audiologist, will moderate a panel that will include Board member, Toni Iacolucci, along with Helen Kay Romeo and her 16-year-old son Josh, a junior at Dover High School who has two CIs. They will talk about the history of their hearing loss, the considerations involved in deciding to get a CI, the actual surgery and activation, and an update on their progress.
Meghan Despotidis currently serves as Assistant Professor of Audiology at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). Her clinical focus is evaluating and programming adult patients with cochlear implants. Dr. Despotidis earned her bachelor’s degree at The Ohio State University and her Clinical Doctorate in Audiology from the CUNY Graduate Center. She completed her audiology residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Despotidis previously worked at New York Presbyterian Hospital as a clinical audiologist, providing diagnostic testing, amplification services, and cochlear implantation services to pediatric and adult patients. She is nationally certified by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
Toni Iacolucci is a communication access advocate, former national board member of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), and currently serves on the HLAA-NYC board of directors. She has been instrumental in bringing communication access to healthcare facilities, city agencies, and cultural venues in New York City. Toni currently serves on the strategic committee of HLAA’s Communication Access in Health Care program and is co-author of the Guide for Effective Communication in Health Care. Toni previously served as a social work administrator for adolescent group facilities.
Here is an introduction to the Romeos:
Hi, my name is Helen Kay Romeo. I am forty-six years young, married to my teenage crush Will Romeo for 20 long years. We have two amazing children: My son Joshua who just turned scary sixteen and my daughter Kaylee who is six going on sixteen. I am currently an at-home mother, the hardest job ever. I am always looking for that clock to punch out but it seems to be lost. I have OCD which is a good thing. It helped when I needed to work full time and learn how to help my hearing-impaired baby. Some would say I am a drill sergeant, not a wife and mom. I am a royal pain to all in the family because I push for perfection.
And Joshua:
All my life I have persistently aspired to prove not only to myself, but to everyone who helped me along the way, that it is possible to achieve your goals no matter what disabilities may hold you back. I was born bilaterally deaf. At thirteen months old, I was one of a few fortunate patients lucky to be blessed with the gift of an amazing piece of technology, the cochlear implant. To help me catch up to the hearing world, my parents enrolled me in a special needs preschool for two years where a speech therapist taught me how to speak and understand English. Although starting far behind, I have come astronomically far and proved to everyone my capabilities. Despite having a rough start to my journey, I continue to look forward to a great future, as I hope and dream of attending a good technical school to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering. With my loving parents and nagging little sister by my side, I continue to forge my path to success in life, and to have a positive impact on this world.
If you would like to join us for this captioned program, click here. After registering, you will receive an email with the Zoom link.
Can’t Hear? We are here for you!
The New York City Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America is a vibrant, diverse community dedicated to helping people with hearing loss lead more satisfying and productive lives. At the chapter’s monthly meetings, speakers address topics such as hearing aids and hearing-aid alternatives, assistive technology, interpersonal strategies, and advocacy initiatives. Those of you who are interested can find information about our organization on our chapter website by clicking here.
