Alexander graham bell family

“In our family, we don’t take sound for granted,” explained South Carolina mom Christy Maes in a telephone interview. The quote is also in a brief video about her son Neil, now 12, diagnosed as deaf while still an infant.

The people at the Georgetown-based Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing don’t take sound for granted either.

Founded and continuously inspired by its famous-inventor namesake, the organization has been working hard to make sure that sound — words and language, but also the sounds emanating in the course of daily life — can be heard by those diagnosed with deafness and hearing difficulties.
Working especially hard is Emilio Alonso-Mendoza, chief executive officer since 2014 of what is known, shorthand-style, as AG Bell.

The seasoned leader of nonprofits will tell you that he was attracted to AG Bell by the enthusiasm and talent of the staff. But it was the organization’s mission —