Patient Stories
Ben and Lochie’s Story.
Ben and Lochie were born in June 2007. At six weeks my husband Paul and I found out that there was a problem with their hearing as a result of ABR screening. At 12 weeks we found out that they were both profoundly deaf.
The audiologist hadn't even finished telling us what that meant for them and I was asking how to get a Cochlear Implant. Although it felt like she was pronouncing a sentence that day, I knew that there was only one way that my beautiful boys would hear my voice, hear music and the world around them.
At 14 weeks they got their first hearing aids; a week after they started early intervention. At 16 weeks we had begun the program at the Cochlear Implant Clinic. At 10 and 12 months respectively they received their implants.
We have never treated the boys as anything other than normal... so even when they haven't got their implants on we still babble away at them as though they are able to hear us.
And at 17 months of age, hear us they do. With their cochlear implants they hear everything that we say, they hear birds, they hear cars, trucks, trains and trams.
They dance to their favorite music and hum along to tunes they know. They can hear dogs barking in the next yard and the most exciting day of their life was when they discovered that their much beloved case worker at the implant clinic spoke, closely followed by the discovery that Bob the Builder also speaks. Now when they get a new toy they hold it to their ears to see if it makes a sound. If they hear a new and interesting sound they pull their coils off and pass them to us so that we can hear it too.
They have entertained themselves no end by barking at cats, mooing at
cows and quacking at the fairy penguins when we went to the Phillip
Island Penguin Parade.
The implants are truly a gift with no measure. Our hopes for their
future are those which any parent has for their children, and we are
confident that with their cochlear implants they will achieve all that
we wish for them and more.
Russell's story
My hearing deteriorated rapidly from early
1990s (aged 45) and I was using my first hearing aid in 1991. From
then to 2008 I was continually upgraded with “newer and better” models
(heard that before?) but I believe that all that was achieved was just
keeping up with my rapid and profound hearing loss.
After
pre-operative testing and examinations at the wonderful Eye and Ear
Hospital in Melbourne I was offered the opportunity of a cochlear
implant on October 2008. The date of the operation was 7th October – a
date I will remember forever.
I understand bother the operation and recovery were normal; and then of course came “turn on day” – 27th October.
The
initial first sounds I heard (or now I understand my brain heard) as
electronic beeps and hums – little did I know they were really voices
and noises that I had not heard for many years!! And even my own voice
I didn’t recognize. As I was explaining to my audiologist, what I
thought I was hearing, I realized their intensity and variety coincided
with my own voice. So, indeed I was hearing voices and noises and not
electronic blips!
Later that session and after each subsequent mapping session I am hearing more and more sounds that I had
forgotten. It is interesting to note that from 1990-2008 I was missing
more and more sounds and in most cases not knowing my hearing was
deteriorating so rapidly.
There are so many new sounds I won’t
start to itemize, but I would like to tell you of one particular sound
I appreciate so much….the voice of my three year old grandson! Soon after
the cochlear implant I was holding his hand as we went for a walk at
the local cricket ground, and without seeing his lips, I heard him
chattering and asking many questions (which of course I was now able to
answer!). On arriving home I commented to my wife, Jill, that Liam
chats and questions now. She replied he has always done that – YOU ARE
JUST HEARING HIM NOW!
In every day play Liam often stops and says “Just a moment while I change the batteries on my Cochlear – now I can hear you”
What great joy my cochlear implant has given me in the short time I have had it, and my thanks to those many wonderful people who have made this possible.
Above - Russell with his grandson Liam both wearing their "Cochlear"
Gabe’s Story
Our son Gabe was diagnosed with a profound bilateral hearing loss at eight weeks of age. With no hearing loss in either of our families it naturally came as a shock to us. When he was diagnosed we thought that we would have to learn sign language and imagined a completely different life for him.
By twelve weeks of age, Gabe was wearing hearing aids. Unfortunately, even aided, Gabe was still unable to hear all the speech sounds but by now we had learnt as much as we could about cochlear implants and had decided this is what we wanted for him.
We met with the cochlear implant clinic and after a number of tests discovered that Gabe was a suitable candidate for bilateral cochlear implants. Oh the joy! A day before Gabe turned nine months he went in for surgery. Two weeks later he was ‘switched on’. Although his introduction to sound was gradual he demonstrated that he could hear - with a big smile on his face!
Four months post ‘switch on’ he is a very noisy boy! He babbles all the time and we are expecting words very soon.
We had the privilege of meeting Professor Graeme Clark not long ago and it was an honour to meet such an amazing and intelligent man.
Without his persistence and commitment to his invention, our lives – and that of our son - would have been very different.
Tahlia’s Story
Tahlia was born on the 14th of August 2006, a first child to Scott and I. We could not have been happier; we felt blessed, she was a beautiful baby, loving and very easy to take care of and as a first time mum I was rapt.
To all accounts Tahlia seemed to be a normal happy baby.
After our regular visits to our health nurse, she mentioned to me that Tahlia didn’t seem to startle to sound. I didn’t think too much of this at the time. After that I began to notice a few things. I knew newborns were heavy sleepers but nothing seemed to disturb Tahlia. The health nurse recommended she go for a hearing test.
At three months of age Tahlia was diagnosed with a serve to profound hearing loss in both ears. I remember sitting at the hearing test thinking this is not supposed to be happening, it can’t actually be true.
Scott and I were very concerned for Tahlia’s future; we didn’t have any knowledge of hearing loss or any contact with deaf people. We were concerned that Tahlia may never talk. We wanted her to dance, sing, and enjoy the hearing world around her. It was a hard time for us, but Tahlia was the one that got us though, she was always happy and smiling we knew that whatever happened, we still had her and that was all that mattered.
We went to Australian Hearing where Tahlia was fitted with her first set of hearing aids, this gave Tahlia some access to sound and she began to hear loud noises. This was exciting for us but after much testing it was discovered that hearing aids would never give her access to sounds she needed to develop speech. We wanted our little girl to hear and talk.
We were then referred to the Cochlear Implant Clinic. I met with our case manager who told me that Tahlia would most likely be an excellent candidate for a cochlear implant, and she shared some success stories with me. I was very happy to hear this. We had a long journey in front of us but it was great to hear some positive news. After testing at the Cochlear Implant Clinic Tahlia was approved to have a cochlear implant, this was a happy day for us.
Tahlia was given her first implant at nine months of age. She was switched on a month later. This was a long awaited day. Tahlia got a fright when she was switched and turned and held me tight.
Just before her second birthday she received her second implant.
The cochlear implant has changed her life and ours.
Her progress has been amazing. Tahlia is now speaking at normal two year old level. She can sing and dance and count to ten. She can almost sing though Twinkle Twinkle Little Star which still brings a tear to my eyes. I am constantly amazed at what Tahlia can hear. A soft drink lid opening! A lolly paper from a room away!
I could not be happier with the cochlear implant and recently had the opportunity to meet Prof Graham Clark and thank him for his wonderful invention. This was a very emotional day for me. We no longer are concerned for Tahlia’s future and would recommend the implant to any family.
