The Alfred E. Mann Foundation announced the donation of two cochlear implants valued at $50,000 from Advanced Bionics Corporation during the recent Alfred Mann Foundation Gala in Los Angeles. Legendary opera star Placido Domingo accepted the cochlears on behalf of the Hear the World Foundation. In addition, donated surgeries to be performed by John Niparko of Johns Hopkins University Hospital and follow-up audiology and medical services make up a package that is priceless to the recipients and valued at more than $100,000.

"Placido Domingo is helping raise awareness for a problem that plagues one in 10 people, and we are honored to collaborate with him, the Hear the World Foundation and Advanced Bionics to transform lives," said David Hankin, CEO of the Alfred E. Mann Foundation.

Advanced Bionics manufactures the only cochlear implant with the 120 spectral bands necessary to enable the deaf to enjoy music and increase the ability to hear conversations in noisy environments.

Hear the World is a global initiative that raises awareness for the topic of hearing and hearing loss. Domingo and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra are the first ambassadors of the foundation and members of the advisory board.

"Not only will the recipients be able to hear conversations and music, they'll hear birds, the wind and any number of sounds and details most of us take for granted - for the first time in many years or maybe for the first time ever. It's the details that distinguish not just what a word means but how it's said," said CEO Jeffrey Greiner of Advanced Bionics, the only US-based cochlear implant manufacturer. "Parents of children who receive the implants enjoy the greatest satisfaction of all -- having their child hear the words I love you, respond to their name when called and have the opportunity to succeed in the schools alongside children with normal hearing."

A recent study of cochlear implant patients at Indiana University School of Medicine shows evidence that cochlear implants in both ears go beyond hearing restoration and significantly improve the quality of life in patients, including increased cognitive skills and better emotional well being. Unlike hearing aids, the implants do not amplify sound but work by directly stimulating any functioning auditory nerves inside the cochlea through an electric impulse.

About Advanced Bionics
Founded in 1993 by Al Mann, Advanced Bionics is an innovative manufacturer of auditory technologies. Headquartered in Valencia, Calif., Advanced Bionics is the only American manufacturer of cochlear implants - the only technology approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to functionally restore a human sense. To learn more about Advanced Bionics and its revolutionary cochlear implant technology, visit www.BionicEar.com.

About The Alfred Mann Foundation
The Valencia, Calif-based Alfred Mann Foundation is a medical research foundation dedicated to bringing advanced medical technologies to the public to provide significant improvements to the health, security, and quality of life for people suffering from debilitating medical conditions. For more information, visit: www.aemf.org.

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