Phoebe audiologist uses personal experience to serve others

ALBANY – As a teenager, Abi Askew saw her future in a dream.

“I know it sounds strange, but when I was in high school, I had a dream one night that I was an audiologist,” she said. “My grandmother always told me that I was going to be an audiologist, but I never actually believed her because I didn’t think I could do it. And then I had that dream, and I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’”

The initial source of Askew’s lack of self-confidence was also the thing that motivated her to help others – her own profound hearing loss.

“I was born with hearing loss, so that’s what kind of got me interested in the field of audiology,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to help people, and I did not let it stop me. I did overcome it.”

Askew’s family lived in the small town of Arlington, and she was born at Phoebe. She was diagnosed with profound hearing loss when she was 15 months old.

“Growing up in a small town, it was a lot for my family to have to travel to Atlanta all those years to get me the care I needed,” Askew said. “I knew I wanted to become an audiologist one day so I could bring this service to southwest Georgia.”

She received a cochlear implant in one ear at age 2 and the other ear at age 14. Cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices that may improve hearing for individuals with specific forms of severe hearing loss. While no one in Albany currently implants the devices, Askew can work with physicians on initial hearing tests and can provide post-surgery support such as activation, routine maintenance and device adjustments to ensure optimal hearing performance.

She also provides additional testing following newborn hearing screenings, various diagnostic testing for children and adults, auditory processing disorder evaluations and fittings for hearing aids.

“To me, all hearing loss needs to be treated,” Askew said. “If it’s starting to affect your quality of life, it needs to be addressed. It’s not normal not to be able to hear when there’s background noise. It’s not normal for you to feel like you have to strain to hear conversations or turn up the TV every time you try to listen to your favorite TV show.”

Askew attended Valdosta State University, then earned her doctorate degree in Audiology from the University of South Alabama before joining Phoebe Audiology earlier this year. She sees patients at the Phoebe Northwest Rehabilitation Center and said she believes her empathy helps her serve patients well.

“I don’t make it about my history during an appointment,” she said. “It’s all about the patient, and that’s how it should be. If I tell them about my hearing loss, it makes them feel comfortable to open up to me.”

Askew said she is excited to be back home in southwest Georgia, where she is close to loved ones and is helping families like hers.

“I find it especially rewarding when I can make a difference in the life of a child and the parents tell me that I’ve made them feel a lot better about their situation,” she said. “I believe that God puts you in the right place at the right time. It kind of feels like it’s meant to be.”

Special Photo: Phoebe