Our Story

The Hear Me Roar Foundation was founded in April 2025 by the Spangler family, inspired by their niece, Charlie. In August 2023, Charlie was born with Bilateral Microtia and Atresia, resulting in maximum conductive hearing loss. Over the following months and years, her family learned extensively about the needs, options for early intervention, and long-term strategies for children with this level of hearing loss.

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Through their research, Charlie’s parents were advised by her audiologist that early intervention with hearing devices in children is strongly associated with improved long-term speech and language development. Unfortunately, they also discovered that most insurance companies do not classify hearing aids as medically necessary devices, meaning they are not covered under standard health insurance plans.

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The cost of these life-changing devices can be prohibitive—over $16,000 for Charlie’s specific model and needs. Because early access is critical to achieving the best outcomes, her parents faced the challenge of paying thousands of dollars out of pocket to ensure Charlie had the same opportunities every parent wants for their child.

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Due to financial constraints, obtaining the devices immediately was not possible. When exploring alternatives such as grants or scholarships, Charlie’s parents were disheartened to find very few funding options for the specialized devices she required.

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Recognizing this gap, the Spangler family founded the Hear Me Roar Foundation to provide financial assistance to families seeking access to the hearing devices best suited to their child’s individual needs. The foundation was built on the belief that early access to hearing technology can profoundly improve a child’s speech, language, and overall developmental outcomes, ensuring every child has the opportunity to be heard.