Passing On the Gift of Hearing

In 1971, Denise Kerns was a 21-year-old college senior, about to graduate from Northwest Missouri State with degrees in English and journalism. But then came a devastating revelation: she had cochlear otosclerosis, resulting in severe-to-profound hearing loss.

Denise hadn’t even realized the problem—nor had those around her. She’d managed to serve as an editor for the university newspaper and completed two summer internships. The condition had progressed so slowly that she’d inadvertently come to rely on
a variety of coping mechanisms, such as lip reading.

The condition was incurable, so for the next three decades, Denise learned how to compensate for her impairment. With the support of her bosses and coworkers, she carved out a successful 31-year career as a journalist at St. Joseph News-Press. She was determined, but admits, “In reality, it was exhausting trying to be a deaf person in a hearing world.”

Throughout this period, Denise looked for solutions, and at one point, her physician suggested cochlear implants. Rather than simply amplifying sounds, as hearing aids do, cochlear implants detect sounds in the environment and then convert them to electrical signals that are transmitted directly to the brain, essentially taking over the job of the inner ear.

Cochlear implants were approved by the FDA in the mid-1980s, but for various reasons, Denise didn’t qualify for the procedure. Then, in 1999, when she was 50, she became eligible, and received the implants.

Precious moments opened up to Denise. She was able to hear her daughter say her wedding vows in 2000, and later hear the voices of her grandchildren. In 2007, Denise received a second implant, improving the quality of her hearing so that she now hears “in stereo.”

"With the help of my physician and the wonderful people at Saint Luke’s Hospital Midwest Ear Institute, I continue to hear better all the time,” said Denise. “That’s why, since 2000, I’ve been a donor to Saint Luke’s Foundation. I want to be a small part of helping others receive amazing gifts like these.”

In addition to her generous financial contributions, Denise has devoted her retirement to working on behalf of others with hearing loss. She currently mentors people awaiting cochlear implants at Saint Luke's Midwest Ear Institute.

Saint Luke’s is grateful to Denise for her continued dedication and support, just as she is grateful for the Institute’s work. "The work they do is life changing. I’ve seen—and heard—it for myself!” Thank you, Denise!

Learn more about how you can support Saint Luke's Foundation.