Amelia’s family faced uncertainty when she was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss as an infant, but early intervention and cochlear implants helped change her future. Today, she is a thriving bilateral cochlear implant user, author and advocate inspiring others in the hearing loss community. Through her creativity and passion, Amelia is showing what is possible with access to sound and a strong support system. This is Amelia’s story of resilience, representation and the life changing impact of Cochlear® technology:
“Our daughter Amelia is an extraordinary 12-year-old with a love for drawing, storytelling, crafting, music, connecting with people and inspiring others. She was born in Puerto Rico, and when she was about 7 months old, we noticed she wasn’t responding to sounds the way other babies her age did. By 10 months old1, she was diagnosed with bilateral progressive sensorineural hearing loss.
Navigating a hearing loss diagnosis and early intervention
Like many parents receiving a hearing loss diagnosis, we were overwhelmed with questions and emotions. We wondered what the future would look like for our daughter. ‘Would she be able to communicate? To listen? Reaching her dreams? How difficult will her life be with hearing loss?’ Those questions were normal, since we had no history of hearing loss in our family. We were clueless and lost, but we knew from the very beginning that early intervention would be key to helping Amelia reach her full potential.
When it came time to choose a hearing solution, we chose Cochlear because of its technology, reputation and strong support network. We wanted Amelia to have the best possible access to sound and communication, and we felt confident that Cochlear would support her throughout her journey.
When Amelia was 2½ years old, our family made the difficult decision to leave Puerto Rico and move to Texas, so she could attend a specialized school at the Texas Hearing Institute. There, she received speech and language support during some of the most important years of her development.
When she was 5 years old, we moved once again so she can attend The Sunshine Cottage School for the Deaf. There Amelia was able to acquire even more language skills and continue improving over the years.
Amelia was able to transition to mainstream schooling for 4th grade, standing out in art competitions and receiving several performance awards.
Becoming a bilateral cochlear implant user
Amelia is a proud bilateral cochlear implant user. Her cochlear implants are not simply devices she wears; they are an important part of her story. Through them, she gained access to spoken language, education, friendships, music, creativity and opportunities that have helped shape the person she is today. Our family often says that Amelia loves her cochlear implants because we loved them first. We celebrated them from the beginning and never treated them as something to hide. As a result, Amelia wears them proudly and enjoys answering questions from curious children and adults.
Living with cochlear implants has transformed our family’s life. Amelia’s sound processors allow her to hear every day sounds that many people take for granted – from birds singing outside to conversations with friends and the little ‘ding’ she hears when she gets an answer right during school.
She uses the Cochlear Nucleus® 8 Sound Processor and relies heavily on her Mini Mic in noisy environments, during presentations and in situations where listening can be challenging. These tools help her access conversations and participate with confidence. She loves to connect to her phone using Bluetooth® technology, where she is able to listen to music or movies directly2 with her cochlear implants (CI’s).
Finding creativity through authorship and illustrating
Today, Amelia is thriving. She is neurodivergent and meets the criteria for both autism and ADHD (AuDHD), a published author and illustrator, a model, a passionate advocate and a proud member of both the deaf and cochlear implant communities.
At age 10, she illustrated her first published book, Bee the One, with author Colleen Kugler, helping spread messages of kindness, inclusion and acceptance. At age 11, she became both author and illustrator of The Life of a Small Rock, a fun and imaginative adventure that introduces children to weathering, erosion and sedimentary rocks.
She is currently completing her first chapter comic book, Shelly the Mollusk, a humorous story about friendship and adventure. Amelia has also been invited to several Barnes & Noble locations as a featured young author, where she has enjoyed reading her books, answering questions and connecting with children and families who share her love of stories.
A passion for advocacy and representation
Representation is very important to Amelia. In her artwork and stories, she intentionally includes characters with hearing differences, neurodiversity and other abilities so that every child can see themselves reflected. One of her biggest dreams is to see more children with cochlear implants represented in books, advertisements, movies and television.
Her advocacy extends far beyond her books. Through presentations, educational videos and school visits, Amelia has helped educate thousands of students about hearing loss, cochlear implants, accessibility and neurodiversity. She loves answering questions, sharing her experiences and encouraging other children to embrace their differences.
One of Amelia’s favorite things is connecting with people. She loves talking, making others smile and helping children understand that hearing loss is just one part of who she is. Her cochlear implants allow her to communicate using her voice and build meaningful relationships with people she crosses paths with.
In 2025 she returned to Sunshine Cottage School to read Bee the One to students and donate books to the library. Sunshine Cottage still displays the book on its walls along with artwork that Amelia donated to the Audiology Department so children can feel proud of their hearing devices.
Milestones through music & messages for other families
Music has become another meaningful part of Amelia’s life. One of the most emotional milestones for our family has been watching her develop a love for music. Soon, she will be attending her first-ever concert to see her favorite band, BTS!
When Amelia was diagnosed as a baby, we worried about all the things she might miss. Watching her enjoy music and experience the excitement of a live concert is something we never take for granted.
In 2026, Amelia received the Yes I Can Award for Arts from the Council for Exceptional Children, an international recognition honoring the achievements of young people with exceptionalities. It was a reminder of how far she has come and how powerful representation can be.
Looking ahead, Amelia hopes to continue writing books, creating educational content, advocating for hearing loss awareness and increasing representation for cochlear implant users in media and entertainment. She is currently collaborating with Colleen Kugler on another book, continuing to spread their kindness and inclusion message.
Another incredible accomplishment is that she signed with Zebedee Talent (ZBD), a leading inclusive talent agency dedicated to authentic representation in the fashion and media industries.
Advice for families navigating a hearing loss journey
If there is one thing we would tell a family beginning their cochlear implant journey, it is this: take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay. The road may look different than you expected, but different does not mean less. Your child will be perfectly capable of doing anything they want and dream of.
Also, find your child’s passion. We discovered that helping Amelia find and grow her passions and abilities was just as important as therapy or medical appointments. By doing that, she transformed her challenges into strengths. Early intervention, access to sound, and a strong support system are crucial.
We are grateful to God, our family, and our tribe of audiologists, therapists, teachers, friends and advocates who have walked beside us throughout this journey. Amelia’s story is one of resilience, creativity, advocacy and hope. She reminds us every day that our differences can become our strengths and that every child deserves the opportunity to shine.
As Amelia often says, ‘You are never too young to dream big.’ Watching her live those words every day has been one of the greatest gifts of our lives.”
Discover resources and tools to help you advocate for your child with hearing loss and support their path to success, just like Amelia’s family!
3 4 5- In the United States and Canada, the Cochlear Nucleus Implant System is approved for use in children 9 to 24 months of age who have profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears and demonstrate limited benefit from appropriate hearing aids. Children 2 years of age or older may demonstrate severe to profound hearing loss in both ears.
- For information regarding the compatibility of Cochlear’s Sound Processors with True Wireless, Apple or Android devices, visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility.
- The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Cochlear is under license.
- © 2026 BigHit Music / HYBE.
- © 2026 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). All rights reserved.
