Helio was born with bilateral profound hearing loss as a result of Microtia and Atresia. His parents were then connected with a school for the deaf where he was provided with a bone anchored hearing solution. This solution was so pivotal in Helio’s development that they proceeded in giving their son Baha Implants. Using these devices has helped him gain success in a flourishing racing career. Learn more about his story below:
“My son was born with a condition known as Microtia and Atresia. The main reason for his hearing loss is due to the absence of an ear canal. He is bilateral, which means he has no ear canal on both sides. His hearing loss is classified as being profound.
We were blessed to have been surrounded by great people at the time of his birth, which helped us get connected with some amazing people at Sunshine Cottage, a school for the deaf in San Antonio, TX. They have a program called a parent infant program, that is intended to help parents cope and be effective at raising a child with hearing loss.
A pivotal path forward with a bone conduction solution
As part of the program, they let us borrow a bone conduction device when Helio was 2 months old. The device was a Baha Sound Processor made by Cochlear. This was very pivotal to the development of Helio’s verbal skills. This program allowed us to see the progress Helio was making as in infant and helped solidify our decision to move forward with getting him the Baha Implants1.
Helio is now 16 years old and wears the latest version of the Cochlear™ Baha® 6 Max Sound Processor, which has worked really well for him. Thanks to the Bluetooth® capability of the Baha Sound Processor, he can interact with this phone2 like everyone else. He also uses the Mini Microphone when he is in the classroom and when gaming on his PC with friends.
He is verbal with no real signs of a speech impediment, no delays in social development and does not use sign language. He is a very productive and very humble kid, who loves his 2 brothers, Alonso and Marcel. He was in the classroom until he reached 8th grade where we made the decision to have him home schooled. The primary reason for switching to home school was because of his demanding schedule of his pursuit of becoming a professional race car driver.
Helio has a need for speed – a future in racing
Helio played various sports and at one point played the tuba in school. At 6 years old, we bought him a go-kart and started driving it around an empty parking lot. We then went to a local track and soon began doing races at the local level. We did that on and off until he reached the age of 10 when he started taking it more seriously.
He started racing at the club level and once he started doing well, he moved onto doing races at the regional level. After winning a regional championship, we began doing national races and did this until he was 15 years old. He accumulated 4 regional championships and 3 National Championships, the most recent, he won as a rookie. He won a Mazda scholarship out of 40+ applicants from various racing backgrounds, from all over the country. He is a Mazda factory driver for 2024 and has already competed in his first race, where he placed second at Sebring International Raceway. He is racing a Spec MX-5 Miata.
Helio will continue to pursue his passion for motorsports, seeking ways to become a professional driver. The creation and development of the Baha 6 Max Sound Processor has been a huge part of this success in all of the things he does.
He has had to work harder than others to accomplish things in life and has a deep understanding that for all things he wants to achieve, he must stay committed, disciplined, responsible and gracious of all of the people that surround him, to make all of this work.”
If your child suffers from hearing loss as a result of Microtia and Atresia, a Cochlear bone conduction solution may be able to help! Learn more about these solutions today.
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- In the United States and Canada, the placement of a bone-anchored implant is contraindicated in children below the age of 5.
- For a full list of smartphone and app compatible 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.
- ©2024 MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
