Acadian blog feature quote

Meet Our Winner Of The Hear For The Holidays Giveaway…

by | Jan 27, 2022 | Local News, Patient Resources

You may remember, back in November, we asked for nominations for our annual Hear for the Holidays giveaway.

It gave one special person in Lake Charles the opportunity to win a pair of hearing aids and access to premium audiological care.

Our decision was based on the touching stories that were sent in by friends and family members who shared their nominee’s story.

As you know, the past two years for Lake Charles haven’t always been easy. There’s been hurricanes, a record-breaking freeze, flooding, and a tornado.

Up to now, thousands are still rebuilding their homes and businesses as a result of the complications, with the pandemic causing further strain on the area.

We wanted to find a way to give back to the community and Hear for the Holidays was the answer.

Truly, we were shocked by all of the nominations – it brought a tear to our eyes! It’s been an honor to be able to provide this opportunity to the community and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading all of your stories.

With that said, we recently decided our winner and invited them into the clinic for a comprehensive fitting of their brand-new hearing aids, free of charge.

Drum roll, please…

The winner of the Hear for the Holidays giveaway is David Duplechian!

Winner, David:

David Duplechian is Vice President at the Family and Youth Counseling Agency in Lake Charles. He was the 2021 winner of Acadian Hearing Services annual “Hear for the Holidays” giveaway.

Most people would describe David as a selfless man, who spends his time helping others.

Duplechian is passionate about his career, where he works with two programs primarily—Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC)—both focused on different goals to help abused children. His daughter, Clarisse Koch, nominated her dad for the free premium hearing aids.

“My dad is always putting others before himself, and he would never make a fuss to get hearing aids to help himself because that would take away from the limited time he has in a day,” said Koch on her nomination form for her dad.

“But he really needs a pair to be able to clearly hear the children he works with to continue the important interviews and processes his role requires.”

Duplechian’s grandchildren joined in on the nomination process adding that they wanted ‘Pa’ to hear them.

“I was really touched that Clarisse and the grandchildren nominated me,” said Duplechian.

“The folks at Acadian Hearing Services are super professional and made the transition to hearing aids really easy.  I didn’t realize how much I was missing before hearing aids, and I am amazed at what I am able to hear now. 

“Thanks to Acadian Hearing Services for their generosity through Hear for the Holidays.  They are much appreciated.”  

As someone who often puts others above him, Acadian Hearing Services wanted to reward David in the best way possible, allowing him to carry on his rightful path of helping others.

We were thrilled to be able to provide David with a pair of hearing aids in time for the holidays. 

Thanks To You

Giving back to the community is part of our mission, and this is one way that we hope to change David’s life for the better.

While the holiday season is usually associated with excitement, for those with a hearing loss, it can be a stressful time. 

Often struggling to keep up with the conversation, it presents feelings of isolation and anxiety.

This unique giveaway is our way of giving back to our community and ensuring that no one needlessly endures the holidays feeling isolated because of hearing loss.

We had more than 35 incredible nominations, but after much consideration we chose David for the impact he has on improving the lives of so many at-risk youths in our five-parish area.

We are honored to help and were proud to bring an extra gift to him and his family for the holidays and beyond.

Do you know somebody that needs to see this? Why not share it?

Dr. Heidi J Sorrells - Audiologist

Dr. Heidi J. Sorrells obtained her doctorate degree from Salus University in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota. She is a certified audiologist by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and she holds a Louisiana and a Texas audiology license. Dr. Sorrells enjoys all aspects of working in a private practice audiology clinic but especially loves the challenges of vestibular (balance) assessment and rehabilitation.