Seen & Heard: Cindy R. Jagger

Cindy Jagger is our Seen & Heard profile in the January/February 2017 issue of Hearing Loss Magazine, published bimonthly by the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). I met and photographed Cindy at HLAA Convention 2016 in Washington, D.C. this past June. Cindy is a member of the HLAA Diablo Valley Chapter in Walnut Creek, CA.

Join the Hearing Loss Association of America!
Do you have a hearing loss or know someone who does? Consider membership in the Hearing Loss Association of America. Student annual dues are $20, individual annual dues are $35, and family/couple annual dues are $45. Fees outside the U.S. are slightly higher. All memberships include discounts on hearing-related products, convention and special event early bird discounts, AVIS and Alamo car rental, and the award-winning Hearing Loss Magazine. Sign up for membership here.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

CINDY R. JAGGER

Suisun City, CA / Born January 16, 1948 in Washington, D.C.

DO YOU BELONG TO A CHAPTER? Yes, the HLAA Diablo Valley Chapter in Walnut Creek, California. HLAA is a passion of mine and I enjoy helping other people with hearing loss. I’ve been a chapter leader for the past 29 years and I have held many positions, including secretary, vice president, and president of the Diablo Valley Chapter. I also started a chapter in Solano County and served as the northern California state chapter coordinator for 11 years.

HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT HLAA? I got a flyer at work to attend a workshop with Sam Trychin, Ph.D., about how to cope with hearing loss. It was at the workshop I found out about HLAA. I joined in 1987, when it was called SHHH.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT HLAA CONVENTIONS? I like meeting people from all walks of life and remembering that people are not alone with their hearing loss.

MY HEARING LOSS… was discovered when I was three years old. I am not sure what caused it but the theory is that it was from a high fever I developed when I was six months old. I started wearing hearing aids when I was six and wore them for 43 years. I got my first cochlear implant (CI) in 1999 and second in 2008. My CIs are the most miraculous gift I have received to enhance my life!

FUNNY HEARING LOSS MOMENT…  After receiving my first cochlear implant, I was in a small meeting room alone and kept hearing “tick-tick-tick.” My first thought was that maybe there is a bomb under the table. When someone who was hearing arrived in the room, I asked what that “tick-tick-tick” sound was. “Oh, that is the clock on the wall,” said my friend.

MY FAVORITE LAZY DAY IS… reading a book on a rainy day. I also enjoy researching genealogy and doing crafts.

MY BEST ROAD TRIP EVER WAS… to Arizona in our new car and seeing three days of major league baseball spring training.

THE HARDEST THING I’VE EVER DONE WAS… earning my associates degree and continuing my education at a state college.

PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED THAT I…  am the first CI recipient to climb the bridge at Sydney Harbor in Sydney, Australia.

MY LITTLE KNOWN TALENT IS… dancing.

I HAVE A WEAKNESS FOR…  sweets.

I HAVE A FEAR OF…  being stuck in a crowded elevator (it has happened twice!)

I COLLECT… angels and bears.

EVER MEET ANYONE FAMOUS?  Red Skelton, Nelson Rockefeller, Heather Whitestone

THE MOST RECENT SKILL I HAVE ACQUIRED IS…  interior design.

I LOVE THE SOUND OF…  ocean waves, rain drops, and music.

YOU JUST WON A $10 MILLION LOTTERY. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? I give a gift to HLAA, pay bills, invest, remodel my house, and then travel the world.

FIVE PLACES I HAVE LIVED…  California, Japan, Maryland, Virginia, and Rhode Island

FIVE JOBS I HAVE HAD…  Third party collections (medical insurance for the Department of Defense), medical claims adjuster at an insurance company, travel voucher clerk, human resources clerk for a major contractor and engineering firm, and dance school teacher

I AM…  easygoing, loving, and positive.

MY FRIENDS WOULD SAY I AM…  fun, brave, and creative.

KINDEST THING ANYONE HAS DONE FOR ME… My husband, Jim, was so caring and loving during my cancer journey.

I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED… as an intellectual and loving person who had a thirst for knowledge and enjoyed life.

I love articles regarding new studies and new technologies regarding hearing loss in Hearing Loss Magazine.

HLM Cover Feature: Larry Herbert, Cynthia Moynihan (LaRue, too!) and Lily Vaughn

Larry Herbert, Cynthia Moynihan (with LaRue) and Lily Vaughn grace the January/February 2017 issue of Hearing Loss Magazine, published bimonthly by the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). I photographed the trio at HLAA Convention 2016 in Washington, D.C. this past June. This issue focuses on the HLAA Walk4Hearing.

Join the Hearing Loss Association of America!
Do you have a hearing loss or know someone who does? Consider membership in the Hearing Loss Association of America. Student annual dues are $20, individual annual dues are $35, and family/couple annual dues are $45. Fees outside the U.S. are slightly higher. All memberships include discounts on hearing-related products, convention and special event early bird discounts, AVIS and Alamo car rental, and the award-winning Hearing Loss Magazine. Sign up for membership here.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.