The gift of sound



Kevin Frost poses with a hearing aid on one of his earlier missions to Mexico. (Photo: courtesy of tioantonio.blog.com)

Kevin Frost poses with a hearing aid on one of his earlier missions to Mexico. (Photo: courtesy of tioantonio.blog.com)

Published on October 20, 2011
Published on October 20, 2011

By Catherine Kitts

Kevin Frost may be best known for being Orléans' ParaSport speedskater but this weekend he will make another trip to Cancun, Mexico in his fifth year working on the mission to help deaf and blind children in that area.

Topics :
Widex , Davidson Hearing Aid Centre , Mexico , Ottawa , Canada

"It's a very powerful vibe when you see the emotion and tears that come from providing this kind of help," said Frost. "It makes you want to do more."

Frost suffers from Usher's Syndrome, a degenerative condition that gradually reduces his sight and hearing. 

This time around, Frost will be granting hearing devices to Jennifer, 11, and Jessica, 9, two sisters from Kantunilkin, Mexico. It was just Tuesday that he was able to secure a second pair of hearing aids so that both sisters would be able to have one. 

Frost will be doing the mission with the help of Ivonne Castillo who he says has been a great help. Castillo corresponds with Frost from her home in Mexico and keeps him updated with the progress of the children he's helped and is hoping to help. 

As a thank you for her hard work Frost raised funds to be able to provide her with a laptop to facilitate her work. 

"She's been doing so much, we felt it was time for her to get something back," he said.

In the five years that Frost has been raising funds to support his mission he has been able to help 10 children receive aids for impaired senses. 

"When you're dealing with individual cases it's a lot of funds," he said.  Frost explains that hearing aids can be as much as $1500 - $2000 each. 

That's why Frost turned to a Widex, an international hearing aid supplier, and Davidson Hearing Aid Centre in Ottawa to help support his efforts. 

"When you do fundraisers every year people can only give so much," he said. Frost notes that in Canada we are lucky enough to have healthcare that pays for some of these kinds of operations, but in Mexico, without his benevolence some of these kids would never get the treatments they need.

Frost first learned of the Mexican youth's needs while on vacation in Cancun seven years ago. He felt compelled to get involved when he met Alfredo, an 11-year-old boy with no ability to hear or speak. 

"I put my hearing aid on Alfredo and he started smiling," said Frost. "He was able to hear things he'd never heard before."

While he's there Frost says the whole town is going to assemble at a community centre to hear the Orléans resident talk about his personal struggle and how it can inspire others.

Frost says when we does these missions he likes to ask the kids what their dreams are. "Some just want a soccer ball or a doll, it's their dream to have one," he says. "They have a whole different perspective on dreams."

But, while Frost helps dreams come true in Mexico, he will not put his own dream on the backburner. He has promised his coaches he won't stop training while on vacation.

He jokes, "I will be dripping while I'm skating instead of freezing for once."

 

 

 

 

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