Yat L. was born with microtia and struggled with his hearing throughout his childhood. After getting a Cochlear™ Baha® Sound Processor when he was 12 years old, he has enjoyed the advancements in technology and now has the Baha System with the Baha 5 Sound Processor. See why his career is dedicated to helping those that are hard of hearing and why he now appreciates the little things in life that he can now hear:
“I’m a digital marketer who lives by the ‘30 Principles’ by Dale Carnegie. You will find me with a bright smile most of the time. I have bilateral conductive hearing loss and wear a bone anchored hearing implant. I rely on my Baha System with the Baha 5 Sound Processor to listen to all the acoustics around me.
I was born with a condition called microtia, which is a congenital deformity where the external ear is underdeveloped. As a child, I was often teased for having long hair which covered my tiny ears. In the community where I was raised, there were hearing resource teachers who were patient and spent quality time with me every week up until I was in 6th grade.
My struggles with hearing growing up
I remember growing up, I had the hardest time enunciating consonants in the alphabet. My resource teachers did not give up and taught me to properly enunciate the alphabet. While the journey was long, it was a monumental accomplishment for me as a child. I often refer back to this instance because it was a breakthrough for me.
At age 12, I had surgery to implant an abutment behind my right ear so I could attach a sound processor for improved auditory hearing. I remember I was so against wearing it because I was not used to the new sounds I was hearing. My first sound processor was the Baha Classic. It was a game-changer not only because the sound quality was so much better than the headband I wore, but the processor was also discreet. I was able to use the FM system, which I was previously unable to.
My life with the Baha 5 Sound Processor
Today, I use the Baha 5 Sound Processor. Just like the Baha Classic, it has been a game-changer for me. I can stream music and phone calls via the True Wireless™ Phone Clip to my Baha Sound Processor, which I was never able to do before. I still remember shedding a tear when I did this for the first time. Small things like this people with normal hearing often take for granted.
With the Baha 5 Sound Processor, I take it on my adventures and make new memories along the away. Most recently, I paired it with a Mini Microphone. With the connection with a Mini Mic, I can plug it to the entertainment systems on aircrafts. Before this, I could never experience the entertainment system because headphones and earbuds do not work for me.
The first movie I watched with the Mini Mic connection was ‘A Star Is Born.’ Not only was it a beautifully directed movie, but the joy of listening to audio from a movie through aircraft entertainment system was also a big barrier that was removed.
Currently, I work at the Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility as the Communications & Marketing Manager. I am empowered to advance the interest for the Deaf and hard of hearing community. I am excited to grow the agency, see the leaders of tomorrow take ownership of their work and mobilizing one another to become powerful agents of change.”
Are you interested in hearing with the Baha 5 Sound Processor? Explore the possibilities today.
