The Founder of Surrey Hearing Care has this to say about her profession: “I am very passionate about my calling in hearing.”
Since 2009, Maria has nurtured Surrey Hearing Care Inc. with this mission: To improve the lives of people with hearing loss through better hearing—both at the consumer and industrial levels. More people, young and old, of various races, can now hear and listen better through the quality of service Maria and her staff provides. The slogan of her company “Helping You Hear the World” says it all.
Maria has experienced hearing loss since her 20s. Because of this, she has made it her life’s purpose to help the hard of hearing—especially the elderly. She said, “I understand the severity of hearing impairment and how vital hearing is to be able to communicate with my loved ones and enjoy life to the fullest. At Surrey Hearing Care, everyone is welcome. Just come in and we will care for you like family.”
Her professional journey began back in her home country, the Philippines. Immediately after finishing university, she was hired by the Manila Hearing Aid—the country’s pioneer and leader in hearing care solutions. There, she fell in love with the practice and spent eight years enriching her knowledge about the industry. Through it all, her personal experience helped Maria understand patients better: “Every day, it would fascinate me how important hearing is and how even day-to-day activities can impact it. In my case, hearing loss was a side effect of my medication.”
Now a trailblazer in her own right, Maria has made sure that her company is accessible to everyone. Through the Surrey Hearing Care mobile hearing clinic van, communities across the lower mainland—including visible minorities, homeless shelters, and First Nations reservations—are able to receive free hearing tests. Because of her tireless efforts to help and give back to the community, Maria was voted across Canada as one of the Top 25 Immigrants in 2015. She was also a finalist in the Surrey Women in Business Award Entrepreneur category both in 2015 and 2016. Maria was also recognized by the Rotary Foundation and was named a Paul Harris Fellow Awardee for her charitable contributions.
Though an alumna of the Pharmacy program at Centro Escolar University in the Philippines, Maria Santos-Greaves has dedicated her life to helping people hear better. She pursued further training in Hearing Instrumentation at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, and from the International Hearing Society. Maria also continues to learn through peers in the industry while being of service to those in need. A member of the Canadian Medical Mission Society, she has donated hearing aids to the non-profit organization and has extended her services to marginalized communities in the Philippines. For donations and more information on CMMS’ medical missions, message them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cmmsbc.
