Press Presse Press Presse
Healthcare Sector
Workflow & Solutions Division
Nuremberg/Erlangen, October 21, 2009
EUHA Congress 2009
A new life with hearing instruments
Former Miss USA uses Siemens Pure
Former Miss USA Shawnae Jebbia lost more than half of her hearing as a result of illness.
Her career as a model and TV presenter went off the track, friendships broke down. Since
she has been using Siemens Pure hearing systems she says: “They have changed my life
for the better.” Now she is working internationally to improve life for people with hearing
difficulties and wants to help reduce the prejudice against wearing hearing instruments.
Siemens presented the company’s new campaign with Shawnae Jebbia for the first time in
Europe at the EUHA Congress in Nuremberg.
When Shawnae Jebbia won the Miss USA contest in 1998, it was the start of a fairytale career.
She appeared at events throughout the world, worked as a model, and presented her own regular
fitness show on American television. But her success brought severe stress. She became ill, and
as a result lost more than half of her hearing capacity and fell into a deep depression. “I felt as if I
had lost my voice,” she says now. She went into seclusion both privately and professionally.
Today, Shawnae Jebbia openly acknowledges her hearing difficulties. As a user of two Siemens
Pure hearing systems, she says: “I want to show other people with hearing impairments how much
better life is with hearing instruments.”
The Siemens Pure behind-the-ear hearing systems that Shawnae Jebbia wears are just about the
size of a fingertip and weigh only two grams. Although it is currently one of the smallest behind-theear systems, the technology is anything but limited. It includes the e2e wireless technology
developed by Siemens, in which the hearing systems in both ears are wirelessly connected and
compensate for each other. They also have “artificial intelligence” that remembers settings for
specific noise environments and then automatically adjusts itself in similar environments.
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Siemens AG
Corporate Communications and Government Affairs
Wittelsbacherplatz 2, 80333 Munich
Germany
Information number: HWS200910.4d fp
Media Relations: Erika Weigmann
Tel.: +49 9131 308-3449
E-mail: Erika.weigmann@siemens.com
Siemens AG
Healthcare Sector - Division Workflow & SolutionsBusiness Unit Audiology
Gebbertstraße 125, 91058 Erlangen
The former Miss USA has found one of the greatest advantages is to be able to connect the
hearing systems with other communications devices by Bluetooth. For example, when the cell
phone or telephone rings, the hearing instrument signals this automatically with a tone that only
she can hear. Using the “Tek Connect”, which acts like a remote control, she can then take the call
without having to hold the cell phone or land-line phone up to her ear. The hearing instrument can
even connect to the computer and of course with the home stereo system, television or MP3
player, because the so called “Tek Transmitter” sends sounds from the devices directly to the
hearing systems in stereo.
Shawnae Jebbia is now the testimonial for Siemens Pure hearing systems.
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in
medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens is the only company
to offer customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and
early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common
diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some
49,000 employees worldwide and operates in over 130 countries. In fiscal year 2008 (to September 30), the Sector
posted revenue of 11.2 billion euros and profit of 1.2 billion euros. For further information please visit:
www.siemens.com/healthcare.
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Siemens AG
Corporate Communications and Government Affairs
Wittelsbacherplatz 2, 80333 Munich
Germany
Information number: HWS200910.4d fp
Media Relations: Erika Weigmann
Tel.: +49 9131 308-3449
E-mail: Erika.weigmann@siemens.com
Siemens AG
Healthcare Sector - Division Workflow & SolutionsBusiness Unit Audiology
Gebbertstraße 125, 91058 Erlangen