When routine checkups missed our daughter’s hearing loss, we realized how families navigating an invisible disability can fall through the cracks. So we started to build the tools to help them.
Shifting Perspectives
Eventually I discovered something different: Living with chronic illness is about adapting to a new rhythm with your body. Here’s what I’ve learned.
A Letter to My Son Turned Into a Children’s Book
One of the biggest sources of encouragement during those intense months after getting Shepherd’s diagnosis was hearing the stories of other families who had walked a similar path.
Are String Telephones the Answer?
In theory, advanced hearing aid features are laudatory for sure, but what about affordability? Aren’t advances in technology supposed to lower prices, not increase them?
Hearing Is the Glue That Holds Families Together
I encourage families to pay attention not only to whether a loved one can “hear,” but whether they are fully participating in life.
Scrappy and Determined From the Start
When the doctor confirmed I had a hearing loss, I felt like a failure. Years later, my older sister pointed out our mother felt the same way. “How did I miss that?” my mother had wailed.
Music Is My Passion. So Is Protecting My Hearing.
Music is my passion, and honestly, losing the ability to listen to it would feel like losing my whole heart. Protecting my hearing is such a small habit for something that pays off for the rest of your life.
Just Part of Who I Am
My advice for anyone starting this journey is to make sure that you know your limits so you don’t get into a situation that you can’t handle. Plus, make sure the people you’re interacting with know what you’re going through so they can help.
From Shock to Sound: Our Family’s Cochlear Implant Journey
When Lucile was little a lot of parents would say to us, “Oh, she has such good manners. She looks you right in the eye.” They didn’t realize she was just very much focused on their faces and lips as they were talking!
Lasting Impacts From Active Duty
Veterans, when compared to the general public, have had more occupational exposure to loud noises, such as gunfire and explosions.