Five Lives Changed by the Gift of Hearing in Honduras

During the recent holiday season, five patients in Honduras received an invaluable gift: the ability to hear. For families living in extreme poverty, this simple miracle transformed daily life and filled the end of the year with renewed hope.

José Vicente Torres (69), Cinthya Marilin Prado (25), Jonny Antonio Tróchez (21), Karen Michel Tróchez (16), and Brayan Jariel Lanza (8) had lived for years with severe hearing loss, some in complete silence. Despite the challenges, they pushed forward, navigating school, work, and relationships without hearing—because for them, hearing aids were far beyond reach.

In Honduras, where many families struggle to meet basic needs like food and shelter, investing in health care often becomes an impossible luxury. For people facing hunger, survival comes first, and medical devices such as hearing aids remain an unattainable dream.

When Compassion Meets Need

Just when hope seems distant, compassion finds a way. Through CAMO, acts of generosity turned into life-changing moments.

Helene Levenfus, an audiologist from Ohio, shared that she had heard about CAMO for many years. It wasn’t until her retirement, however, that she felt called to travel to Honduras as a volunteer. Deeply moved by the patients’ needs, Helen made the heartfelt decision to donate hearing aids to those who needed them most.

She traveled to Honduras during CAMO’s October 2025 medical brigade, where she not only provided her professional expertise, but also evaluated patients and trained staff from Social Investment (INSSA), a CAMO initiative designed to generate sustainable resources and expand access to hearing care across the country.

A Holiday Filled With Sound and Joy

Helene personally ensured that each patient received hearing aids tailored to their specific needs. Through INSSA, the devices were donated, allowing these five patients to experience something many had lost—or never known at all.

As the year came to an end, they celebrated the holidays with a gift that cannot be wrapped: the sound of voices, laughter, and life itself.

For them, this was more than medical care.
It was the gift of hearing—and the reminder that they are not forgotten.