Raising awareness
Beatriz turns to her creative side to express herself and her hearing-loss journey so it’s no surprise that the 18 year old represented Cochlear in a national urban art event in Brazil recently to raise awareness about hearing health.
The ‘Ear Parade’, organised by the Otorhinolaryngology Foundation and the Center for Advanced Studies and Development in Otorhinolaryngology in Brazil, showcases a series of 60 giant ear-shaped sculptures painted by renowned local artists.
Sponsored by Cochlear, the event is considered to be the world’s first urban art event that focusses on hearing health. The 2019 Ear Parade saw sculptures displayed in public places around Sao Paulo including shopping malls, plazas and city streets.
Competition success
Beatriz, a Cochlear™ Nucleus® implant recipient from Altônia Paraná, was chosen to design one of the ears after winning a Facebook competition run by Cochlear Latin America as a way to involve recipients in the country-wide initiative.
Recipients were invited by Cochlear to submit design entries and finalists’ designs were posted on Cochlear Brazil’s Facebook page. Beatriz’s entry won the overall competition by generating the most likes – 1700 in total.
Beatriz, who was implanted at age three, was drawn to the competition because of her love of art and drawing, which she says has helped her to communicate and open up in difficult times during her teenage years.
Filling the world with joy
Now with her Cochlear Implant, Beatriz says ‘sound fills the world with life, it fills it with joy and that makes me very happy and makes me feel connected’.
According to Christopher Bertrand, president of Cochlear Latin America, only one in 1,000 people know what a cochlear implant is, so initiatives like the Ear Parade are important to raise awareness about hearing health.
Proceeds from the auction of these giant ears will help fund organisations that help reinstate hearing and combat prejudice.
