Lisa, described by her husband David as "the most caring and special person I have ever met," lost her hearing many years ago following a serious ear infection. The loss was complicated by the effects of Lisa's multiple sclerosis.

"MS is not proven to affect hearing, but it is thought to be a distinct possibility," says David.

The MS diagnosis made Lisa uninsurable. A hearing aid was a huge expense, so she went without one. Then a small miracle happened.

Johanna Zuehls, a doctor of audiology and owner of Heritage Hearing Care in Menominee, teamed up with Bernafon, a hearing aid provider, to sponsor an essay contest.

Essays were to be written by someone suffering hearing loss or by that person's friend or family member. Zuehls and Bernafon were ready to give away a digital hearing aid to the most compelling essay.

The Banisters took notice. David, a real estate appraiser, enjoys writing in his spare time.

"It was like someone looked down and said, `Give these guys a break,'" says Lisa.

David went to work.

"We recently learned that Lisa's ability to communicate had become dependent on her ability to read lips much more than we'd ever imagined," wrote David. "She does not hear birds, any type of electronic tones, whispers, whistles, or even paper rustling."

About a month before the essay contest, Lisa tested a digital hearing aid in a free demonstration. The results were promising.

"She heard every word I said without looking at me," says David. "In the blink of an eye, Lisa was hearing hundreds of sounds that she hadn't heard in years."

But digital technology is pricey. With no insurance, it seemed out of reach for the Banisters — until the essay contest.

David's essay was among 11 entries reviewed by 10 judges. Names and other identifying elements were removed so judges could make impartial decisions.

All the essays were compelling, says Zuehls. But Lisa Banister's story as told by her husband stood out: "She deserves to hear the gravel under her feet. She deserves to hear her kids whispering in her ear, papers rustling in the next room, birds singing in the morning."

Essay judges apparently thought so, too.

Now Lisa, who works with her husband, can hear him when he's in the next room. She can hear phones ring. She can enjoy "Dock of the Bay" from start to finish.

Lisa can look someone in the eye during conversation now, and no longer needs to concentrate on reading their lips.

She has hearing aids in each ear. Because they are flesh-toned, they are nearly invisible. They wrap around the ear; they do not sit in the ear.

"They're little mini-computers," says Theresa Kinney, a Bernafon representative.

For Lisa, the results have been nothing short of miraculous. There were a few adjustments. Some noises were especially loud at first. But she adapted quickly.

"I feel totally adjusted," she says. "I can be in a crowd and hear a conversation. Before, if people were behind me and started a conversation, I couldn't hear them."

The quality of Lisa Banister's life has improved, thanks to an essay contest, a thoughtful husband and digital technology.

Says her husband, "She's not tense anymore."

By Mary Johns