He was destined to help other people hear better

Born with a severe hearing loss, Ray Covey has spent his career helping others hear better.

“I was premature, a seven-month baby. My mom said that I passed right after birth. My heart stopped, but they brought me back.

“I was in an incubator for 10 days. On the eighth day my heart stopped again, and they had to bring me back again. How long I was out both times, I don’t know. But I do know that lack of oxygen to the brain affects you.

“My hearing was damaged severely, along with my vision. I started wearing hearing aids at age 5. It was a body aid that I had to wear under my shirt. It was very uncomfortable. I hated that thing. I wore it until fifth grade when I got a behind-the-ear aid, which was kind of new technology at the time.

“Kids were tough on me. At school, they would push me down the stairs or slam my head against the wall. I got picked on a lot until I snapped one day and said, that’s it, no more. I got tired of having stomachaches from all the nerves.

“My hearing loss was severe at the time, but now it’s more profound. My right ear is about 95 percent gone as far as understanding. My left ear is about 90 percent gone. But I haven’t let it stop me.

“I guess I was destined to help other people. I’m a hearing health care practitioner. I’ve been in the business 41 years. I love what I’m doing. If you can change someone’s life just by hanging hearing aids on their ears or putting them in their ears, it’s amazing. It’s great to have that God-given talent to do that for another human being. It’s the greatest job in the world.”