Breakthrough surgery allows boy, 3, to hear his father's voice for the first time

[Electric Monk]

Source: NY Daily News

Nicole and Len Clamp's adopted son Grayson was born without a cochlear nerve, which carries signals from his ears to his brain. But his hearing has been restored by an auditory brainstem implanted as part of an FDA trial at the UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C.

(snip)

"I mean, he looked deep into my eyes, and he was hearing my voice for the first time," the proud pop beamed.

(snip)

Over time doctors say the device he wears to interact with a microchip placed on his brain will be fine-tuned and improved. The boy will also undergo several years of speech and hearing therapy at UNC.

The Clamps who adopted him while already knowing his condition say they'll be there every step of the way.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/break-surgery-boy-3-hear-article-1.1377704

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It's nice to have a good news story, for a change

[rocktivity]

1. More

I hope there's time for him to learn how to speak.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021909622


rocktivity

[Jefferson23]

2. Wonderful! I hope all goes well for this young fellow. n/t

[kas125]

3. My father, who died last October, was one of the first people to get a cochlear implant,

when it was still experimental. He had nerve deafness that started after an illness when he was a child and lost his hearing altogether when he was 22, which was really awful because he was a musician at the time. After his implant surgery, he and my mom borrowed cassette tapes that came with books which belonged to my two year old son, to help him learn what it was that he was hearing. The cochlear company studied him and flew him around the country to different conferences for years. He was always so happy to see a little kid who had gotten an implant and knowing that what he did was part of making it possible.