Yesterday, I heard about a toddler from Dallas, Texas who recently had a cochlear implant surgically placed. Izzy Baker was born with a severe hearing loss that led to her challenges with communication. She currently communicates with sign language. A friend of mine shared this video story with me after it was shown on NBC in my hometown of Miami, FL. It was a short segment, but it was definitely one of those feel good stories. You know the ones that just pull at your heart strings.
It was
amazing to see this precious little girl receive the gift of hearing as the
audiologist (hearing specialist) activated the sound processor behind her ear
for the first time. The little girl’s face lit up in amazement and she also smiled
and pointed to her ear as the audiologist turned on the beeps to test her
ability to hear. This sound processor looks like an external hearing aid and transmits
a signal to the cochlear implant that stimulates the
auditory nerve in the inner ear and allows Izzy to hear.
Now that she
has received this gift of hearing, she will receive follow up care from a team
of professionals to ensure that she receives the greatest benefit from her
cochlear implant. The audiologist will make sure the device is programmed and
fitted effectively, the speech-language pathologist will teach her to
communicate orally and/or with sign language, and her parents will carry out
instructions given by the team of hearing professionals.
Here’s the
video clip: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/national-international/Dallas-Toddler-Hears-for-the-First-Time-266041791.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_MIBrand
I hope this
story made you smile! Have a great day. Remember to do what you can to build
successful lives through service to others! This little girl now has access to hear and communicate in
new ways that would not have been possible without her cochlear implant,
family, and team of hearing professionals! 
Tamara Anderson, Ed.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Education Specialist
Writer
No comments:
Post a Comment