Harvey Patterson lives in the Los Angeles, California area with his wife, daughter, and two grandsons. Harvey has had a lifelong love of all things mechanical, working as a designer of machine tools and enjoying a hobby as a Nascar pit mechanic.

Unfortunately, Harvey‘s lifetime exposure to loud sounds had taken a big toll on his hearing. It caused him to experience isolation in his daily life, and put him at risk on the job, as he couldn’t always hear warning sounds like those made when a machine malfunctions. But then his hearing loss led him to misunderstand his grandson, resulting in Harvey missing the boy’s important cross-country meet. When his grandson asked why Harvey didn’t love him anymore, assuming that was why his grandfather skipped the big event, a heartbroken Harvey knew he had to stop ignoring his hearing difficulties and take action.

After Signia selected Harvey from a countrywide search to participate in the It’s Your Choice video series, he met with a hearing care professional in Arcadia. She diagnosed him with age-related hearing loss combined with noise-induced damage. The result was bilateral, high-frequency hearing loss, which makes it particularly difficult to hear high-pitched voices like those of children.

When Harvey first heard through his new hearing aids, he could hardly believe the difference. His wife agreed, as he could hear her clearly even when facing away. Today, with near-normal hearing again, Harvey’s now able to order at restaurants without assistance, and no longer misses or misunderstands his beloved grandsons.

As Harvey told his wife, “This is the best gift I’ve received since I married you.”