At Hearts for Hearing, we are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of many individual’s journeys to communicating with listening and spoken language. This is not small feat, and we are grateful to our audiologists and Listening and Spoken Language Specialists who work hard every day to make this outcome possible by supporting our patients and their families on every step of their listening journey.
Today, we want to share the story of sweet, smart and music loving Ryker, who now communicates using listening and spoken language because of the services he received at Hearts for Hearing.
From Silence to Sound
In early 2021, Cheri and Justin found themselves and their two-month-old son, Ryker, about to embark on an unexpected journey. Ryker had failed his newborn hearing screen and was referred to Hearts for Hearing for follow up testing. At just two months old, Ryker was diagnosed with profound bilateral hearing loss—but that was only the beginning of his journey toward listening and spoken language.
Ryker was first fit with hearing aids, and then, shortly after at only six months old, he received bilateral cochlear implants. During this time, Ryker also began Listening and Spoken Language Therapy, a specialized type of speech therapy geared towards helping individuals with hearing loss communicate by using listening and spoken language.
A Second Home
Right after his diagnosis, Ryker and his mother Cheri began visiting Hearts for Hearing for weekly therapy appointments with Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Jessica. Cheri recalls those early therapy sessions with Miss Jessica as life changing. “They didn’t just treat Ryker’s hearing loss, they treated my anxieties and worries about what this would mean for him and what I would need to do to make sure my baby had access to everything he needs in life.”
What started as regular appointments quickly transformed into the highlight of Ryker’s week. “Ryker and Miss Jessica grew a tight bond,” shares Cheri, “As a baby, he would save his milk bottle until arriving at therapy, knowing Miss Jessica would warm it up for him before their session. By the time he was just two years old, he had memorized the entire drive from Muskogee to the Hearts for Hearing office.” Their time together was filled with toys, games, and stories- all carefully designed to build his listening and spoken language skills through play.
Miss Jessica and his audiologist, Dr. Kelsey, celebrated his milestones and always made Ryker feel like he was the most important kid in the world. Every visit was filled with genuine care, joy, and encouragement.
Onwards and Upwards
Thanks to early diagnosis, cochlear implants, and weekly sessions with his Listening and Spoken Language Specialist at Hearts for Hearing, Ryker began to listen and speak. By the age of three, he was communicating just like his peers—and graduated from therapy!
The family now visits Hearts for Hearing quarterly for cochlear implant testing rather than weekly for therapy sessions, but those appointments remain special occasions that Ryker eagerly anticipates. His connection with Miss Jessica provides invaluable peace of mind for Cheri as Ryker enters school. “It brings me comfort knowing that as Ryker starts school, I can bring him back to Miss Jessica any time if I feel like he has areas he could work on to do his best in class,” she explains.
The Bright Future Ahead
Today, Ryker is four and a half, obsessed with music (from Ray Charles to Salt-N-Pepa!), Super Mario, and making everyone around him smile. His hearing journey isn’t just about overcoming challenges—it’s about unlocking his full potential. As a baby and toddler, he loved playing the drums, and now he enjoys imaginative play with his big sister.
Looking toward the future, Cheri no longer worries about the limitations her son could face. What once felt like a challenge has become steppingstones to a future full of possibility and promise.
“What I’m hopeful for in Ryker’s future is not so much a hope but a feeling of guarantee that he will be able to accomplish anything he sets his mind to with nothing holding him back,” she says. “He will be able to play sports if he wants to, communicate with anyone he meets, be in a band, run an otter sanctuary, or be the president one day.”
If you’re a parent facing hearing loss with your child, let Ryker’s story remind you: listening and spoken language IS possible. And we’re here for you every step of the way.
