We are pleased to announce Jonathan Lai as the grand prize winner of the “Tell Us Your Story” Sweepstakes. Lai, an associate at investments firm Crosslink Capital, San Francisco resident and Lyric wearer for the past year, was selected as the grand prize winner for sharing his story about experiencing hearing loss at a young age, the obstacles he faced and had to overcome and how Lyric has made a positive impact on his life today.

Last September, Lyric wearers were asked to answer the question “What do you love about Lyric Hearing?" for a chance to win a free year of Lyric.  “Hearing loss can profoundly affect an individual and those around them,” said Susan Whichard, vice president of marketing at InSound Medical. “Jonathan’s story eloquently illustrates the struggle that many people with hearing loss face.”

“Today, with my Lyric hearing devices, I can do what I had never dared dream was possible. I play basketball every weekend, I chat with friends and family in noisy restaurants, I stand in board-rooms and field questions about company strategy,” said Lai. “Perhaps most importantly of all, I no longer think about my hearing loss on a daily basis. Lyric works well in [so many] situations.”

Lai was first diagnosed with severe hearing loss at the age of 10, experiencing a parabolic loss that made middle sound frequencies, like human speech, a challenge to hear. His first hearing aids consisted of a set of bulky headphones connected by wires to a heavy belt-worn battery pack.

“It was awkward, ugly, and ungainly,” he said.

Even in high school when he began wearing behind-the-ear hearing aids he was faced with daily issues presented by the smaller, more portable devices. Limitations included a short battery life, microphone feedback and difficulty hearing speech in noisy environments or wide-open spaces.

“With previous hearing aids, I always needed to think ahead to compensate for my limitations—avoiding noisy restaurants or sitting closer to a speaker, for example,” he explained. “With the 24/7 amplification that Lyric provides, my hearing is always there for me when I need it.”