Meet Benjamin, a brilliant, determined young man who just turned thirteen. His parents, Dion and Paula, proudly describe him as “a very intelligent and gifted young man.” He’s artistic, academic, musical, and full of potential. More than anything, Benjamin shows everyone around him what it means to overcome challenges with resilience.
A New World
After three years of marriage, Dion and Paula were thrilled to learn they were expecting their first child. “Wanting to allow for some surprise, neither of us wanted to know the gender of the child though Paula had a feeling that it was a boy…and she was right,” said Dion. Benjamin was born happy and healthy in January of 2012.
Shortly after he was born, a hospital nurse informed Benjamin’s parents he failed his newborn hearing screen. While the nurse mentioned it may just be residual fluid in his ears or their machine malfunctioning, she still insisted they follow-up with an audiologist. Based on hospital staff recommendations, Dion and Paula selected Hearts for Hearing for Benjamin’s care.
First Steps to Sound
“We were very anxious. Our audiologist, Dr. Sara Neumann, assured us that, whatever the findings, it was going to be fine and that we would take things one step at a time.”
Diagnostic testing showed Benjamin had profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. “We were initially devastated– this is not what we envisioned becoming new parents. Everyone thinks of stocking up on diapers and wipes, cute little onesies, and the sleepless nights while trying to adjust to new routines and schedules. We never pictured a hearing-impaired child,” they recall.
Hearts for Hearing laid out options available to Benjamin and his parents, and after careful consideration, his family chose to pursue listening and spoken language. “Our thoughts focused on what life would be like for Benjamin – the things he would miss out on, the stares/comments he would get, the limitations he may have, the impacts on our family and future, etc. After a lot of discussion and some reservations, we decided to go ahead with hearing devices and spoken language.”
Diving Into Change
Within a few weeks of his diagnosis, Benjamin was fit with hearing aids and began weekly therapy sessions with Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Darcy Stowe. Soon after, Benjamin began to recognize, imitate, and respond to sounds.
Though Benjamin had made great progress on his listening journey, at ten months of age his babbling began to plateau. At this point, his care team at Hearts for Hearing recommended cochlear implants.
At 11 months old, Benjamin underwent his first cochlear implant surgery, with activation just days before his first birthday. His parents witnessed “almost immediate improvements in his babbling,” and months later, Benjamin received his second implant.
A Life Full of Sound
Today, Benjamin is 13. His world is filled with academics, music, art, and family fun. He hasn’t let his hearing loss limit him. He is an honors student, a member of the National Junior Honor Society, participates in his school’s academic team, and even joined the high school marching band while still in 7th grade. In his free time, he enjoys video games and building Lego sets with his younger brother Jonathan.
Benjamin no longer needs therapy but does continue to have annual visits to ensure his technology is still performing optimally. When reflecting on their time with Hearts for Hearing, his parents say, “Anytime we had questions, Hearts for Hearing was there for us and in our corner. We’re so glad that we selected Hearts for Hearing and listening and spoken language all those years ago.”
Looking ahead, Dion and Paula hope to support Benjamin’s dreams of becoming a scientist or chemist— confident he’ll continue to make a positive impact.
Advice for Fellow Parents on a Listening and Spoken Language Journey
Dion and Paula have a few tips they’d like to share for other parents starting their journey with listening and spoken language:
- Lean on your support team: It’s hard, we get it. You are brand-new parents having to immediately make decisions that are life-altering for your new child and your family. It’s going to be OK. Take a breath and keep in mind that you have a team and extended family at Hearts for Hearing. Call them, lean on them when you need to—they’ll be there for you like they were for us.
- Keep devices on consistently: The more exposure to listening and spoken language, the better your child’s success.
- Use questions as teaching moments: When people look or ask questions, use it as an opportunity to educate them about the devices. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback in return. Everyone is different – let it be a teaching moment.
- Focus on possibilities, not limitations: A lot of the worries and concerns we had initially have disappeared. There are very few things that have limited Benjamin. Sure, we may have a few extra steps because of the devices, but that has not excluded him from living his life.
