Marc Brennan, Ph.D., an audiologist at Boys Town National Research Hospital, was recognized for his perseverance in overcoming his own hearing loss and encouraging others to do the same.
Syracuse, NY (October 23, 2013) – On October 21st, The HearStrong Foundation honored Marc Brennan, Ph.D., as a HearStrong Champion before his coworkers and loved ones at the Lied Learning and Technology Center for Childhood Deafness and Vision Disorders, adjacent to Boys Town Hospital in Omaha, NE.
Zach Wiegert, former professional football player and University of Nebraska-Lincoln star, was also on hand to help the foundation honor Brennan. Wiegert was named a Consensus All-American player in 1994 and was drafted in 1995 by the St. Louis Rams. Before his retirement in 2006, he went on to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans.
As the cornerstone of the foundation, HearStrong Champions are the men, women and children who refuse to let hearing loss prevent them from achieving their goals and inspire others to live their lives to the fullest.
As someone who was forced to face his hearing loss as a child, Marc found his life’s calling at a young age. By immersing himself in the field and becoming an audiologist, he is able to inspire others to reconnect to their hearing and their lives every day.
“As an audiologist, I have had the opportunity to help out those who share in my experience with hearing loss,” said Brennan.
“By celebrating HearStrong Champions like Dr. Brennan, we hope to shatter the social stigmas surrounding hearing loss and help spread hearing loss awareness,” said Ed Keller, founder of The HearStrong Foundation.
Roughly 36 million Americans suffer from hearing loss—and that number is on the rise. Recent studies have shown that one in five teenagers has hearing loss, as well as 60% of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. However, due to lack of education and negative connotations, only a small percentage of people choose to treat their hearing loss.
With the help of its champions, The HearStrong Foundation is working to end that once and for all.
