Southern Arkansas Audiology

01/22/2026

We frequently get asked why battery packaging has changed recently. While we understand the package is difficult for our patients, we also understand why the law was put in place. If you are having a hard time with the new package let us know and we will try to assist as best we can.

A mother has told of the devastating moment her two-year-old daughter died after swallowing a button battery that burned through her oesophagus and a main artery. 💔

Harper-Lee Fanthorpe died after what began as a seemingly normal Sunday morning.

Mum Stacy Nicklin said that the toddler was pointing to her mouth, something she often did, as she had suffered from septic tonsillitis from a very young age.

Stacy, 40, then tucked Harper-Lee into bed before heading off to work.

But she received a frantic phone call an hour later from daughter Jamie-Leigh, 23, who said that the tot was spitting blood.

She rushed home to find Harper-Lee in an ambulance. 🚑🚨

“I’d told Harper-Lee that her throat would be better soon – little did I know that she was telling me she’d swallowed something,” said Stacy, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs.

“I put her in my bed with Jamie-Leigh. I was only at work for an hour when I had a feeling that I needed to check my phone. There were missed calls and messages that didn’t make sense so I FaceTimed Jamie-Leigh – and Harper was covered in blood.

“A friend from work rushed me home and the paramedics said they needed to wait for a doctor because they’d never seen anything like it before and they didn’t know where the bleeding was coming from.”

Stacy, who has another daughter, Kyla, 18, says that Harper-Lee was rushed to Royal Stoke University Hospital where a camera was inserted to find the source of the bleeding.

Surgeons confirmed they’d discovered a button battery from an LED light remote lodged inside Harper-Lee’s body.

It had burned through her oesophagus and into a main artery leading to her heart.

Doctors said Harper-Lee needed to be transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital but would not survive the journey. 💔

Stacy said: “When they said she’d swallowed a battery, I had no idea she wouldn’t make it. Then they said she wouldn’t survive and I collapsed. I said ‘Please try and do everything you can to save my baby girl’.

“All I can remember is him saying ‘I'm so sorry’. That's all I heard before I went into shock and fell to the floor. I kept saying ‘I need to go and tell my other daughters’ but they already knew because they heard me scream, which was so piercing.

She died on May 21, 2021.

12/10/2025

Angel Tree Instructions Using Sign Up Genius: 1. This is the link to the Chick-fil-A Leadership A...

05/07/2025

Big News for Hearing Health in Arkansas!
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has officially proclaimed May 2025 as Audiology Awareness Month** in Arkansas—and we couldn’t be more excited to share why this matters for YOU and your patients.

Hearing is health.
Hearing loss doesn’t just affect communication—it’s linked to **cognitive decline, depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, balance issues, and social isolation**. That’s why addressing hearing loss is about more than hearing—it's about protecting your overall health and quality of life.

Why now?
Nearly 29 million adults in the U.S. could benefit from prescription hearing aids—but fewer than 30% are using them. Many don’t know where to start or wait too long to seek help. This proclamation shines a light on the importance of taking hearing seriously—and seeing the right professional.

Audiologists are the experts.
Licensed audiologists are trained to diagnose and manage hearing and balance disorders. Whether you’re a patient experiencing hearing changes, or a healthcare provider wanting to refer, audiologists are your partner in personalized, prescription hearing care.

If you're over age 50, hearing screenings should be part of your routine care—just like vision checks, cholesterol, or blood pressure.

Let’s use this month to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and connect Arkansans to the hearing healthcare they deserve.

Need help finding an audiologist? Reach out to the Arkansas Academy of Audiology, and we’ll connect you to a provider in your area.

05/01/2025

Come see us at the Pine Bluff Business expo until 3pm! We won the award for most informative booth.

04/28/2025

We will be out of the office Thursday May 1st. We will be attending the Pine Bluff Business Expo. We have some free tickets available. Give us a call if you want us to put your name on one! As usual, we will have a few goodies to giveaway. 😎

04/22/2025

Mumbling actors, multi-layered soundtracks and big TVs with little speakers are driving viewers to subtitles.

03/04/2025

We will be at the White Hall, AR School District wellness event today after 4pm. Come see us and say hello! You can enter to win one of THREE gift cards from Mill Town Coffee in White Hall! ☕

02/14/2025

Audiology, Speech Pathology, and other healthcare friends: SB118 will be in front of Arkansas Legislators on Wednesday February 26th! This bill helps to define the scope of practice for audiologists in Arkansas. Audiology is a small field so we need your help. Many of us will be headed there to show our support!

01/02/2025

Dr. Wethington was recently recognized for Best Women in Healthcare for AY Magazine. Thanks for the nomination and thanks for trusting us with your hearing needs!

10/22/2024

A big thank you to everyone that attended our first Founder’s Day booth! I wanted to share a few of our winners of the Stanley cups and the electronic hearing protection. We still have a Stanley cooler to give away! Call us before the end of the week to schedule a free hearing test to be entered to win the Stanley cooler! 😁 870-247-8800 📞

Stanley cup: Stacie Bentley and Kim Bridgeforth
Hearing protection: Robert Welden and Kirk Sheltman

10/19/2024

Come see us at founders day! Someone needs to enter to win these Stanley cups and cooler. 🤩 Bring a jacket! It’s chilly. 🧥

10/18/2024

Come see us Saturday for some awesome raffle items!