While Savannah initially passed her newborn hearing screening, later in her young life, her parents realized that she was experiencing hearing loss. Through expert guidance from a hearing care team and a cochlear implant, Savannah was given access to sound that she lost. She is now a gymnast and proud cochlear implant recipient. Read her journey here:
Born in November 2013, Savannah passed her initial hearing screening, leaving her parents unaware of any hearing issues. It wasn’t until a playful moment during a game of telephone at age 61 that they discovered Savannah’s hearing impairment. Her father, Gabe, recalls the moment: “I whispered something into her left ear, and she said, ‘Oh no, Daddy, you have to whisper in my other ear. That ear doesn’t work.’”
Savannah’s hearing journey begins
This revelation was the start of Savannah’s hearing journey. This casual game confirmed their initial suspicions. Gabe shares, “When she told us she couldn’t hear out of that ear, it made sense. She was always a loud talker, and her speech curled toward the ear that worked.”
The family sought help from hearing specialists, but the initial results were disheartening. “We tried a hearing aid, but it only boosted her hearing from 4 percent to 12 percent. It just wasn’t enough,” Gabe explained. During this time, Savannah’s family also moved from Miami to Gulf Breeze, Florida. However, this new location came with its own set of challenges. “We love it here, but there are limited resources,” Gabe notes.
Determined to find a solution, Savannah’s family reached out to their local Children’s Hospital in Florida, a decision that would change Savannah’s life. “I started calling around the country and when I spoke to Sandra, the cochlear implant coordinator, I was at my wits end. She reassured me and said, ‘We got you. We can make this happen.’” Despite the 900-mile round trip from Gulf Breeze to Orlando, the family committed to the journey for the high-quality care they found at the local Children’s Hospital.
A team effort for Savannah’s future
The team’s coordinated approach stood out to Gabe and their family. Gabe shares, “People would ask us ‘Why would you drive so long or go to a hospital that far away? Especially knowing how many trips it will take? Why would you add that on top of your load?’ And I’ll be honest it it’s because this team was everything that we were looking for. They showcase a team-oriented practice with layered specialties: Whether it was obtaining advanced testing to see if the brain would respond to new sound (cortical testing) with her audiologist or the cochlear implant candidacy testing with cochlear implant audiologist, the team provided timely and accurate results. When Savannah had an anomaly in her brain during an MRI, her pediatric otolaryngologist, Dr. Cedric Von Pritchett just picked up the phone and got us in to see one of the neurologists, the next day.
That would have taken months elsewhere. It’s very clear that the Children’s Hospital has a carefully thought-out process.” This efficient and compassionate care was crucial for the family, allowing them to address multiple medical needs in a single trip.
Savannah underwent cochlear implant surgery with Dr. Pritchett. “When we went in for surgery, somebody was there to welcome us, walked us through the process; the care and compassion were very obvious. Everyone on the team was asking ‘What do you need? What can we do to help?’ It felt like concierge service! Whether it was Sandra coming up to check on us, or somebody from surgery giving an update, or the text messages we received throughout surgery, we were always in the know. We couldn’t be happier with how seamless the surgery went.”
The Ronald McDonald House on the hospital’s campus provided the family with a vital support system during this time. “Being able to stay steps away from the hospital was a lifeline. The care and compassion there were extraordinary,” Gabe says.
Looking forward to life with a cochlear implant
Now, Savannah has recovered from surgery and doing well. “She’s incredible,” shares Gabe. “The recovery was quick. After some initial dizziness and nausea, she bounced back within days. It’s hard to believe how quickly the time passed” Gabe marvels. Savannah’s resilience and positive spirit shine through as she eagerly awaits returning to her favorite activities, including gymnastics. “She’s been back at the gym now for about a week, just stretching,” shares Gabe. “She’s bouncing around and bubbly and talking to everybody, just counting down the days to when she can get back up on the bars!
Savannah is very proud that she has a cochlear implant. She’s proud that she did this surgery. At her school and gym, she’s the only girl who is hearing impaired and will be the only girl with a cochlear implant and it doesn’t faze her one bit. She is super excited and wants to show it off and wear it. It’s going to be awesome.”
Savannah’s father, Gabe emphasizes the importance of working closely with health care providers. “Parents need to do their part—making phone calls, following up on authorizations. We were willing to do whatever it took to get Savannah the care she needed.” Reflecting on their journey, Gabe expresses gratitude for the care received at their local Children’s Hospital in Florida: “Dr. Pritchett and his team are among the most professional specialists we’ve encountered. They truly care about the patient and the family.”
For other parents facing similar challenges, Gabe’s advice is clear: “It matters where you go. The effort you put into finding the right care for your child can make all the difference.”
Savannah’s story is a testament to the resilience of children and the impact of dedicated medical care. With her hearing health care team and her cochlear implant, Savannah and her family are looking forward to a future filled with new sounds and continued adventures.
If your child has been diagnosed with hearing loss, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. A hearing care team can help guide your family in understanding possible solutions, like cochlear implants.
- 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.
