Former children's hospital admin creates at-home otoscope to empower parents

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A North Carolina mom, frustrated by the difficulty of getting medical help for her daughter, took matters into her own hands and created a solution for parents.

Minni Marwaha, a former children's hospital administrator, founded Deebo, a Raleigh-based company offering easy-to-use medical tools at home. Their otoscope is a valuable addition to any medicine cabinet, providing parents with peace of mind.

Marwaha told ABC11 Eyewitness that her four-year-old daughter suffered from chronic ear infections but rarely displayed the common symptoms. This made it nearly impossible to secure a timely doctor's appointment.

"They would ask, 'Does your daughter have a fever?' And I would say, 'No, but she's doing x, y, z.' They'd say, 'Why don't you watch and wait until she has a fever?'" Marwaha recalled. "That happened so many times."

Frustrated, Marwaha ordered an otoscope -- a tool doctors use to examine the ear, nose, and throat.

"The next time she had an ear infection, I used my otoscope and saw that her ear was bright red and bulging," Marwaha said.

Armed with this information, she was able to relay her daughter's symptoms to the doctor and secure an appointment. This experience inspired the idea for Deebo, named after her daughter's beloved stuffed monkey.

Each Deebo purchase includes an otoscope, guidebook, storage pouch, specula refills, and a mini-otoscope toy for kids. Marwaha noted that the "Sprinkles" color is their best seller.

Parents often feel helpless when their child is sick, especially in the critical hours before seeking medical help, Marwaha said. Deebo aims to empower parents by providing tools to take those essential first steps.