Jentry was diagnosed with hearing loss at 18 months old. She was born deaf in her right ear and had moderate hearing loss in her left ear. Speech therapy became a staple in her life from her diagnosis until junior high school. At the time, the protocol to receive a cochlear implant was very different and it was almost impossible to get insurance to cover the procedure. Thanks to her mom who never quit pushing for the best care, Jentry finally received a cochlear implant in her right ear when she turned 15 years old. It wasn’t long before she lost the hearing in her ‘good ear’ and she received her second implant when she turned 21 years old. Although Jentry had a difficult journey with hearing loss, she has grown up to live a normal life without obstacles or limitations she may have faced if she couldn’t hear. Read more about where Jentry is now on Cochlear Americas blog, “Where Are They Now? Meet Jentry T.”
“As you can tell, the process to receive a cochlear implant is completely different now. If Hearts for Hearing didn’t exist, babies born with hearing loss today would have difficult journeys much like Jentry did.” – Kris Hopper (Jentry’s Mom)
