Bruce is a Miracle-Ear customer from Minnesota. A loving husband and a Vietnam veteran, Bruce is a commander at the local VFW — a job made easier now that he can hear better.
Bruce and Maren went on their first date, kissed goodbye and fell in love. Four months later, Bruce was drafted.
After 16 months in Vietnam, surrounded by the sounds of gunfire and explosions, Bruce found life with Maren blissfully quiet. “We’re going to be married 47 years next month, and I’m still in love with her,” he says, holding her hand.
But after 45 years, things started getting a bit too quiet. Bruce couldn’t hear.
“He'd get this spacey look, like he didn't hear me.” Maren says. “He'd agree with me, but I knew he wasn't hearing me. I could say something to him, and he'd give me an answer out of the blue that didn't have anything to do with what I was saying. And I'm like, Bruce, what's going on here?”
Like so many people with hearing loss, Bruce denied he had a problem. Maren served as his interpreter when they went out to eat, repeating what the waiter said. He continued his work at the VFW, missing half the conversation. But not being able to hear his grandchildren really “bugged” him, he says, and drove him to seek help.
Once fitted with his Miracle-Ear hearing aids, Bruce could again engage with Maren, his grandkids and the world around him. Bruce no longer has that funny look or blank stare when asked a question. “Bruce partakes in conversations now,” Maren says. “It’s awesome.”
Bruce hears the waiter, his family and his fellow vets. “Wherever I go, I can hear everybody,” Bruce relates. “I'm real happy. “
