Q&A with Teen Hearing Access Advocate
Eddie Orlin, an LA high school student and 2024 CHC Gala presenter (right), understands firsthand the power of communication and the importance of accessing information in times of crisis.
Eddie shares his inspiration for launching the website and his hopes for future expansion in a Q&A with CHC.
Q: How are you and your family doing?
Eddie: We've been displaced from our home, but we are lucky enough to be living at my aunt and uncle’s house on the other side of the city. Soon we will be moving into a new house for a time being until our house can be fixed up and ready to be lived in. Currently our house is too toxic to be living in, so it could take anywhere from 6-12 months before we are able to move back.
Q: What inspired you to create this online resource?
Eddie: After the fires happened, I wanted to try to bring something positive back to my community, and I wanted to do it in a personal way, which was through a hearing resource.
Q: If you had been without your hearing equipment, what would that experience have been like?
Eddie: Not only would it be harder for me to hear other people, creating a tremendous amount of stress, but it would also add to my tinnitus because I use my hearing aids as a means for treating my tinnitus. It would also have made it difficult for me to go back to school because I would struggle to hear my teachers and the other students.
Q: What impact have you seen so far with the website?
Eddie: The greatest impact that I have seen so far is that we have already reached almost 1,000 people and I am hoping to continue to reach more. I may not be able to see the impact, but knowing that the resource is there for so many people like myself is what matters the most.
Q: What are your goals for the website?
Eddie: I am hoping to reach as many people as possible and maybe one day being able to use this format for other victims of other natural disasters. It would be great if people from all over could use this resource for their specific need.