“The lights are dimmed, the stage is bare and the audience is silent in anticipation. Over the hush, a voice is heard, ‘Hello, my name is Madison, and I have hearing loss. I am also known as the Bionic Ballerina.’ Your heart catches, but you miss the rest of the introduction because your eyes well with tears, pride and … Continued
“As I discussed in my previous blog, I lost almost all my hearing by the age of 30. I had my first son when I was 27 years old and by then, my hearing was almost completely gone. For me, the world was silent without my hearing aids. Parenting before cochlear implants With my hearing … Continued
“In 1986, my husband pointed out to me that I was not hearing him well. Of course, I said, ‘very funny’ and laughed it off. I was 26 and the last thing I expected to hear was that I was losing my hearing. I went to an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT) and learned … Continued
Andreas S., husband to Caroline S. (read her blog series here), tells his perspective on her hearing loss and cochlear implant surgery through the ups and the downs of having a “hearing impaired relationship,” as he says. Read his perspective on experiencing a new relationship with his now hearing wife: “Caroline and I are hearing … Continued
What are some common acoustic neuroma symptoms? An acoustic neuroma is a benign and usually slow-growing tumor that develops on the hearing nerve that connects the inner ear (cochlea) to the brain. Pressure from this tumor can cause hearing loss in the affected ear. Symptoms are different for every patient, but some common ones include: … Continued
“Friday, August 5, 2011 started off just like any other day. I did not think much of it when Katie told me she needed to stay home from preschool because she did not feel good. That was not an uncommon occurrence. Like most 4 year olds, she was ‘sick’ and ‘needed’ to stay home with … Continued
Symptoms of Treacher Collins Syndrome The symptoms of Treacher Collins Syndrome can range from unnoticeable to severe. Some of the most common symptoms include, but are not limited to: Eyes that are slanted downward and away from the nose A small jaw (microngathia) Underdeveloped cheekbones Microtia and atresia in one or both ears Treacher Collins … Continued
Read to see how Caroline S.’ activation day went! Want to read her first blog to hear about her life leading up to her cochlear implant surgery? Click here. “On my activation day, we invited my referring audiologist and she kindly brought huge coffees for everyone. The morning was very exciting! It takes a few … Continued
“Nicholas was diagnosed with hearing loss at his newborn screening. A week later, an audiologist told us that he was classified as having a bilateral pediatric sensorineural hearing loss. His right ear was diagnosed with a moderate loss and his left ear was diagnosed with a mild to moderate loss. The hearing loss was to … Continued
“On the morning of August 6, 2018 months after beginning our adoption process, we stood in a conference room in the Civil Affairs building in Wuhan, China. We chatted with the other adoptive family, all of us nervously waiting, when suddenly…there he was, the beautiful boy whom we would name Elias and bring home to … Continued
“I am Caroline S., and I live in Edmonton, Canada with my beloved husband, Andreas. He is the most supportive husband, and I am so grateful for his love and help through all the years of my hearing journey. I have a box of tissues next to me as I write this. Hearing loss is … Continued
“Abbie was born April 21, 2002 and she just turned 16. We learned she was profoundly deaf in both ears after she failed all the standard hearing tests they do on all babies in the hospitals here in Nova Scotia, Canada. We were quickly led to the direction of getting her bilateral cochlear implants. We … Continued
“‘Our’ story is your story as well as mine! There are many personal experiences relating to my hearing loss that I know have also occurred in the lives of others who share the same disability. We have all struggled to remain in, or return to, the hearing world around us. Potential for new technology After … Continued
“My name is Courtney H. and here is my story. At 27 years old, I went on my first international trip to Thailand, where the Aqua+* kit was an extremely useful addition to my usual Cochlear Implant toolkit. But, before I dive into Thailand, let us start at the beginning. The beginning I was my … Continued
“Hi there, my name is Heather. I am 35 years old, and I have been living with single-sided-deafness (SSD) my entire life. I was born in 1983 with two completely developed ears, except I was deaf in one ear. Back then, there was not much that could be done for people with SSD. I remember … Continued
“When we learned our daughter, Layla, had severe to profound hearing loss present at birth, our lives were turned upside down. We knew nothing about hearing loss and did not know if we would be able to communicate with our sweet baby girl. Everything changed when we met a brilliant and compassionate surgeon who taught … Continued
“Our beloved son Hudson M. was born on May 9, 2017. My pregnancy was difficult and filled with many complications ranging from preeclampsia to gestational diabetes, and ended in a cesarean section. When they placed him in my arms, I had never seen anything so beautiful. He was 6 pounds of perfection. After I held … Continued
What is Goldenhar Syndrome? Goldenhar Syndrome is a rare condition that is present at birth and mainly affects the development of the eye, ear, facial muscles and bones on one side of the face. Today Goldenhar Syndrome only effects every 1 out of 3,500 to 25,000 babies1 and the medical community is continuing their education … Continued
“When Liviana was born, she failed her newborn hearing screening and the follow up test two weeks later. They recommended we come back to get an auditory brainstem response test (ABR). After speaking with a few friends who also had children that failed their hearing screenings due to fluid, and being uneducated on the matter, we … Continued
“Hi, my name is Conner Svetly. I was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, I am 22 years-old and just graduated from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a Masters of Health Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I attended Chapman University in Orange, California for my undergraduate education, where I majored in … Continued
“My son, Kevin, is 12 years old and has bilateral Cochlear Implants and started with the Cochlear Nucleus® Freedom® Sound Processors. He was born in California before they adopted universal newborn hearing screening, but we were fortunate that the hospital where he was born had implemented the screening test 2 weeks prior to his arrival. … Continued