We love hearing from you

The Kansas City Chapter of the HLAA welcomes comments, questions, and feedback. You can email us at hlaakc@gmail.com.

Steering Committee

Terri Shirley

Terri Shirley

Terri has experienced all spectrums of hearing ability. She had normal hearing until she hit her head on the floor while at a roller skating rink, blacked out, and awoke to sudden hearing loss–-could not hear her family or friends. It was a few hours shy of April Fool’s Day at the tender age of 15. Terri was diagnosed with nerve damage, fitted with two hearing aids, and thrust into lipreading overnight. Twenty-six years later she woke up to discover her hearing aids didn’t work; something mysteriously happened to her hearing in her sleep.  Correctly diagnosed with Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts, she was implanted with her first cochlear implant. Eight years later she was re-implanted after the internal component stopped working. Through HLAA, Terri hopes to inspire people of all ages and their families coping with hearing loss. “HLAA has educated me with a wealth of information and the friendships are priceless,” she says about HLAA. “We are all riding on this journey together — us, our families and friends.”

Minda Nelson

Minda Nelson, co-treasurer

Minda was born with a severe-to-profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. She credits a strong support system comprised of her parents and friends with enabling her to thrive as a hard of hearing person. Because people with hearing loss live in a predominately hearing world, Minda sees the Kansas City chapter as a way to bring them together and allow them to relax among others with similar challenges and experiences. Outside of HLAA, Minda works as a professional engineer, is a wife and mom, plays soccer, and travels.
Gretchen Mortier