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Cochlear Implant for Toddler

Amelia - posted on 09/25/2009 ( 3 moms have responded )

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Am a grandma for a year and 9 month old girl who's in need of cochlear implantation. Can you connect me with foundations or philanthropic individuals who are willing to support us in part or in full for the surgical operation and future rehab of my granddaughter with profound hearing loss on both ears. Even with a pair of hearing aids for the past three months and a month of speech therapy in an oraldeaf school her progress in the spoken language is very, very slow. Thank you for any information or link you can give me.

Amelia Rogel-Rara
amyrara1945@aol.com

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Myra - posted on 09/28/2009

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Hi, my daughter has bilateral sensi-neural hearing loss (she is profoundly deaf on both sides), she was fitted with a cochlear implant when she was 3 and a half years old. i have to admit that the scariest part of it all was the operation but it's the best thing that could have ever happened to my daughter, we are currently waiting to see if she qualifies for the implant on the other ear as well. before the implant my daughter only made grunting noises and now she talks all the time. it hasn't been easy and you must work with her everyday, constantly going over the same thing, my daughter still struggles with her speech, shh sounds and k sounds and she can't use certain mobile phones but other than that she has come on really really well. when she started school so did go to a support base for 4 days a week and mainstream school for one day a week but every year as she progressed the days at the support base got less and less and now she goes to a mainstream school fulltime and any support that she needs is now given to her at school. the downside to it is that she can't wear it to go swimming or when she's having water fights in the summer and if she's near the water when we go to the beach then it has to be removed (she still does all these things but takes off the implant first then we go back to signing with her) and she doesn't sleep with it on either but i would recommend a cochlear implant for anyone that was offered one and cochlear also has a website for any additional information that is required, its www.cochlear.com and its available for over 100 countries, good luck

Amelia - posted on 09/28/2009

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Thanks for the encouragement. If we could raise 50% of the cost the surgery will be done on her very soon. Am really looking forward to hearing my granddaughter speak. Our audiologists says best to have implant before she turns two so the speech delay isn't as great as when procedure is done later. We'll share more of my granddaughter's hearing journey as soon as she gets her implants. Right now she's wearing hearing aids and is into an oral deaf school.

Victoria - posted on 09/28/2009

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hi, my son is 2yrs old, and has been implanted for 7mnths. he is profoundly deaf in both sides, but only has one implant for now. the implants are great devices and bring together a whole new world to the implanted person. my son is doing so well, he has only been able to hear for 6mnth, and is saying loads of words, and noises! i suspect your granddaughter will do fabulous once implanted, and will enrich her life no end! good luck!! xx

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