Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter Meeting – Meet Chet Frith, Director of the VA Office of 508 Compliance

A genetic hearing loss diagnosis can bring an added layer of questions, emotions and decisions for families. You may be wondering what the diagnosis means for your child, what the future may hold, where to find reliable information or how to connect with other parents who truly understand what you’re experiencing.
HLAA’s new peer support group provides a welcoming virtual space for parents of children with genetic hearing loss to connect, share experiences, ask questions and learn from one another. Our first meeting, led by Michelle Hu, Au.D. will focus on what families should know after their child has been identified with genetic hearing loss—including what the diagnosis means, what steps to consider next and how genetic hearing loss may differ from other types of hearing loss.
Whether you’re just beginning to navigate a genetic hearing loss diagnosis or further along in your journey, you’ll have an opportunity to learn from an expert, connect with other parents and find support in a community that understands.
The remaining 2026 meetings will be held at the same time on the following dates: October 22, November 19 and December 17.
Michelle Hu, Au.D., CCC-A, is a pediatric audiologist, speaker, author and founder of Mama Hu Hears. She also happens to be a bilateral cochlear implant user, which means she’s spent her life sitting in both the patient chair and the provider chair.
For more than 16 years, Michelle has helped children and families navigate hearing loss through diagnostics, hearing technology, cochlear implants and family-centered care. Today, she shares that expertise with audiences around the world, helping professionals move beyond the audiogram to better understand the families they serve.
When she’s not speaking or in clinic, you’ll find her creating educational content for the Mama Hu Hears community, writing resources for hearing parents of children with hearing loss, chasing after her four kids or testing new recipes in the kitchen.
Michelle believes every family deserves to feel informed, supported and empowered—not overwhelmed. Her mission is simple: bridge the gap between clinical care and real life so children with hearing loss and their families can thrive. You can find her most active on Instagram: @mama.hu.hears.com.
_________________________________________________________________
Questions? Feel free to email us at chapters@hearingloss.org.