Joplin, Mo. -- There’s an expression: “the first duty of love is to listen.”

David G. Anthony, Au.D., CCC-A, exemplified that concept by helping others keep their hearing healthy during a recent medical mission trip to the Caribbean. 

Dr. Anthony, an audiologist at Freeman Health System’s Ear, Nose & Throat Center, took part in a humanitarian trip to schools in St. Kitts & Nevis Islands providing hearing screenings and specialized care otherwise unavailable to the islanders. 

“I had some of the most rewarding experiences just being able to provide services that aren’t routinely available on the islands,” Dr. Anthony said. “One moment that stuck with me was seeing the relief on the faces of parents of a 3-year-old child with autism spectrum disorder. Before the specialized testing that we brought with us, they didn’t know if their child could hear their expressions of love and care. Following testing and finding out their child was hearing very well, you could tell the look of relief on their faces wasn’t just about finding out their child could hear well – it was about finally having some answers after so much uncertainty.” 

Dr. Anthony recounted another interaction where the expression of the patient put the whole trip into perspective. 

“Another instance I recall was in a clinic on the island of Nevis, where a young man, around 14, was brought in with a hearing aid that was no longer working,” he said. “Communication was hard, because other disabilities limited his expressive speech. It took just a few minutes for me to troubleshoot the issue and get his hearing aid working again. His face immediately lit up as I put his hearing aid back on and he could communicate with his teacher again. He was so happy he gave me a big hug and a fist bump. I’d happily give more of my time to go back and be of whatever kind of service I could to those wonderful people.”

As part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2025 mission, U.S. Air Force audiologists partnered with an audiology-focused non-government organization (NGO). LAMAT 25 is a global health engagement aimed at enhancing Airmen’s readiness while strengthening U.S. partnerships in the region.