Pindrop Foundation

“It has been estimated that there are over 400,000 hearing impaired New Zealanders, 4000 of whom could possibly benefit from a cochlear implant and yet a good many of these people aren’t aware that the option exists for them to consider.

Pindrop was set up to raise awareness and funds for Cochlear Implants (bionic ears) and to draw attention to issues relating to hearing loss. The Pindrop Foundation is the public face and fundraising arm of the Northern Cochlear Implant Trust. The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees who collectively offer a wealth of experience and expertise in assisting the Trust to pursue its goal to provide a world class cochlear Implant service.

“NCIT” was founded in June 2005. The Trust acquired the contract with The Ministry of Health to provide the publicly funded Cochlear Implant Programme in the Northern region. There is no other public funder of these services in the region, but private surgery; habilitation and audiology are available for those that are able to pay.

Their role is to contract with key Service Providers to deliver Audiology, Rehabilitation for adults, and Habilitation for the children and surgical services for the implant itself. They govern and co-ordinate the service so that severe and profoundly deaf individuals can not only hear but can speak and eventually interact fully with the community around them. You can HELP in the following ways.

The current Service Providers are:

* Audiology and Service Coordination: Joint Venture – Hearing House Services Ltd and Hearing and Tinnitus Clinic, University of Auckland

* ENT Services, Surgery and Hospital Stay: Gillies Hospital

* Habilitation Services –Children: Joint Venture –
Hearing House Services Ltd and Kelston Deaf Education Centre; and

* Rehabilitation Services – Adults: Joint Venture –
Hearing House Services Ltd and Hearing and Tinnitus Clinic, University of Auckland”