Cynthia Guy

Updated March 2008

On the morning of April 16, 2006, Dr. Cynthia Guy woke up to find that her 84-year-old husband Stuart had suddenly become totally deaf. Months of strained communication and despair followed until Stuart received a cochlear implant. This surgically implanted electronic device stimulates the hearing nerve in the cochlea, giving people with severe to profound hearing loss a sense of sound and speech. Four months later, after a course of speech auditory rehabilitation, Stuart was able to hear and speak again. He can even enjoy music and speak to his children and grandchildren on the phone.

Cynthia realized then that her goal in life would be to share the incredible gift of hearing with others. In 2006, she founded the Instituto de Implantes Cocleares, SA (IICSA), the first registered cochlear implant provider in Panama. She says, "Our mission is to give the ability to hear, and therefore to live, to as many people as possible."

A winning attitude

A seasoned "medical entrepreneur", Cynthia knows what it takes to run a successful healthcare business. After completing her graduate medical training at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, she became Chief of Anesthesiology at the Missouri Baptist Hospital, overseeing a team of 42 medical staff. She then established the first independent pain centre in St. Louis. In 2001, she sold the centre to Washington University and retired.

Fortunately for the community of over 25,000 people in Panama who suffer from severe hearing loss, Cynthia, who is now 68 years old, decided to come out of retirement. Working around the clock, she has brought together a team of specialists dedicated to her cause. Her centre, which she calls a "beacon of hope", includes physicians, audiologists, speech therapists, social workers and clinical psychologists.

Cynthia has partnered with the Austrian cochlear implant designer, Medel, and is collaborating with the University of South Florida on hearing loss research. IICSA also enjoys the support of the City of Knowledge, an international complex for education, research and innovation based in Panama City.

High tech hearing

Unlike conventional hearing aids, which simply amplify sound, cochlear implants make it clearer. An electrode is implanted inside the ear, while an external box containing a microphone picks up sound signals, converts them from radio waves into electrical impulses and sends them directly to the auditory nerves. Patients who have received implants report that they significantly enhance their hearing and quality of life.

So far, IICSA has successfully carried out three cochlear implant operations, and plans to perform 18 more in 2008. There are already at least 60 patients on the waiting list. The difficulty lies in finding trained local doctors and funding for low-income patients, as the combined cost of an operation and rehabilitation is approximately 35,000 USD. "In a country where 40% of people live in poverty, money is a real challenge," she says. "But I'm more determined than ever to get the funding I need to help make peoples dreams come true."

Cynthia is passionate about her cause and confident that her efforts will pay off. "Being a female entrepreneur in a country where I haven't lived for 30 years isn't always easy. It's a whole new playing field for me. But I think this technology has huge promise and I really believe in my project!"