Progress Forward

This newly graduated high school student who wears a cochlear implant is making plans to pay it forward.

By Skylar Coleman

Beep. Silence. Beep. A soft beep, then nothing. A very faint beep, silence once more. 

In 2nd grade, I was diagnosed with a single-sided hearing loss, and this is my story. 

The elementary school nurse immediately called my mom after giving me a regular health checkup that included a hearing test. It was all a blur after that day. I underwent test after traumatizing test before the neuro-otologist finally concluded that I had a hearing loss in my right ear due to an enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). 

That’s when I got my first hearing aid, and I learned how to adapt to new, frustrating, and ongoing challenges. 

At the time, I wasn’t really happy about this. Why couldn’t my life go back to normal? 

As fate would have it, my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Cohen, was a godsend. Her mom had a unilateral hearing loss all of her life, so Mrs. Cohen was the perfect person to help me transition to using an FM system with my new hearing aid. 

She was committed to my success and became a guardian angel, taking me under her wing and giving me so many pointers on how to handle this new disability. She made sure I was in the right spot during classroom discussions, and repeated questions and answers from other students if they were not sitting close to me. 

Of course, the kids at school were curious and would stare, point, and whisper. When I was in 5th grade, my teacher of the deaf encouraged me to give a presentation about hearing loss to my classmates. I was very nervous but I felt empowered afterward—because I was in control of the narrative. It is easier to explain things than to have people talking about you behind your back. 

Although hearing loss due to EVA is progressive, it did not stop me from taking part in the various sports I enjoyed like gymnastics and swimming. I just needed to be extra careful. If I were to hit my head, get a head cold, or do anything that alters the normal pressure in my brain, I could risk losing more hearing. For a kid, this was a ton of responsibility. 

As a child, I did not understand what was wrong with me. Before I was diagnosed, I had only been understanding maybe half of what the teachers were saying. Straining to hear taxed my stamina over the course of a full school day. The hearing aid, preferential seating, and other assistance helped. 

Still I wondered, why couldn't I just do what the other students were doing when the teacher gave us classwork? For a long time, it made me feel like I was not capable. Without really realizing it, the hearing loss severely hurt my confidence and kept me from trying or challenging myself. 

Then This Happened

Very, very faint beep. Nothing. Continued silence, no more beeps. 

In 7th grade, I had an unexplained sudden hearing loss. The hearing in my ear was gone. I was crushed. 

I was told I needed a cochlear implant. I was petrified and hated the disorder even more! Having brain surgery was the scariest time of my life. I had hit bottom. The mental struggle was the most difficult part. Fear caused me to fight with my parents. 

I got the surgery and it went well. But it led to the need for more adaptation, more compromising. With diligent rehabilitation, I was able to get back to 98 percent word recognition. 

Now as I get older, I’m working on being the best version of me that I can be. In order to thrive academically, I learned to advocate for myself and take advantage of the many resources provided to me. It has taken several years for me to accept my unique learning needs. 

This life experience had a profound effect on me. I understand now that hearing loss led to my feeling alienated from my peers—a disconnection that I hadn’t even realized was happening. It caused me to be perceived by others as someone I am not, because they didn’t realize that I simply did not hear them. 

This has fueled my passion. My career goal is to become a doctor of audiology, so I can help children who are facing hearing loss. To become an audiologist is an eight-year commitment: a four-year bachelor’s degree plus a four-year doctoral degree. Despite the challenging road ahead, I feel very excited about the opportunity to help others. 

To be honest, there’s nothing else I can see myself doing. I am confident that with my passion, empathy, and life experience, I will be an excellent audiologist! 

As I prepare to head off to college, I am proud to say that I am strong-minded, resilient, and determined to succeed on my own terms. I am ready for the next chapter in my life and truly believe that nothing the future holds can stop me from being my best self.

Skylar Coleman lives in New Jersey. This story is adapted from an essay that earned Skylar one of Help America Hear’s 2024 scholarships. We are proud to be a partner with Help America Hear in sharing these essays.

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