This Pride Month, we are featuring Walter Tayburn, a HearingLife Patient Care Coordinator at our Phillipsburg, NJ location, who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ Community.
Walter was a HearingLife customer when he heard about an opening at HearingLife during the pandemic. He has been part of the HearingLife family for just over a year. Walter understands what it means to provide medical and emotional support to people, as this was required of him in past professions.
Walter loves seeing the lights turn on in a client’s eyes when they are fit with hearing aids and realize that they can finally hear again. He wishes more people understood just how much hearing aids add to a person’s quality of life.
Walter’s favorite customer interaction was when an older gentleman walked up to the desk and said, “I didn’t expect to see a male secretary,” to which Walter responded, “I didn't expect to see a man with a handlebar mustache walk up and say a line like that.”
The gentleman appreciated Walter’s comical response, setting the foundation for many fun and meaningful interactions between the two after the gentleman purchased hearing aids.
For Walter, Pride Month is a time of reflection, “I came out during a time when it was not generally accepted. I was concerned about discrimination in housing, job opportunities and my general safety. I think it's important to remember where we have been as a community and where we hope to go in the future.”
At HearingLife, Walter feels celebrated for being his authentic self, not just tolerated. “It's important to remember to embrace and love oneself. It's not ego or flaunting; it's a community celebrating freedom.”
HearingLife is ready to help you with your journey to better hearing, no matter who you are. Schedule a complimentary hearing assessment today.