The Lexington Medical Center of Lexington, South Carolina, teamed up with the Lexington Sertoma Club to host a special seminar at the hospital, which educated and inspired individuals to take an interest and initiative in pursuing hearing health. For Sertoma member, Buzz Lewis (right) the event proved to be life changing.

Do you remember the last time you felt inspired to make a change in your life? At times, inspiration can be purely unpredictable. It can stem from a story, person or even an event. For 73-year-old Sertoma member, Buzz Lewis, it just happened to be all three.

It all started with a hearing health seminar that took place September 26, 2016. Each month, the Lexington Medical Center, in Lexington, South Carolina, provides free educational health seminars for the community. In September, the Lexington Sertoma Club teamed up with the hospital to feature hearing health as its spotlight topic of the month.

Over 100 hundred people attended the free two hour event titled, “Do You Hear What I Hear,” which soon became one of the highest attended hospital seminars to date.

The speakers at the event included audiologists Tara McCarty and Dr. Neal Burkhalter, MD, both with Lexington ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat).

In general, the event was designed to educate, raise awareness and highlight the importance of hearing health in a fun and interesting way. Members of the club also set up a booth in accordance with the seminar, and passed out pamphlets.

Mark Hendrick, the Lexington Sertoma Club’s vice president of public relations, said that he was most impressed by the audience’s engagement and participation.

“People had a real desire to learn about hearing health,” Hendrick mentioned. “There were practical questions about hearing aids and cochlear implants. It was also enlightening to see the doctors chart the workings of the inner ear.”

Mike Lefler, the Sertoma Club’s vice president of speech and hearing loss, added that the event exceeded his expectations. He said he noticed that it encouraged others to “make the next move” and seek assistance. For Lexington Sertoma member, Buzz Lewis, the event did just that.

Lewis is relatively new to Sertoma, and joined in March of this year. He said he became involved with the organization because he enjoys helping others.

After attending the event, Lewis asked his physician to schedule him a standardized hearing test. The test results later proved that he had moderate-severe hearing loss. Lewis was soon fitted with hearing aids November 1.

“I am still getting used to the sounds I didn’t hear before,” Lewis said. “Overall, the hearing aids have made a big difference in my life.”

In the future, the Lexington Sertoma Club is hopeful that together, they can continue to raise awareness and inspire others to make hearing health a priority.

“We would like to have another event,” Hendrick concluded. “It might be good to have one of these periodically, so that we can continue to provide more information to the community and continue to make a difference in people’s lives.”