Magic ears: Lucian & Lennek’s story

I have to say that finding out about the boys’ hearing loss left me numb. We had already been through so much. But we immediately knew that we wanted them to have the opportunity to experience all the sounds that we take for granted as hearing people. We wanted them to know that music exists, and that when you watch TV, sounds come with the pictures. And there’s a sound when the wind blows, and there’s a sound when a train rushes by. Today, when we see how much they enjoy music – nursery rhymes, classical music, Latin music with a beat – we know we made the right decision.

I vividly remember the first time the boys were fitted for hearing aids. When the audiologist asked if we wanted to record their reactions, I foolishly said no. I think I was still in denial about the extent of the hearing loss because I knew they responded to sound, just like all the doctors and nurses at the hospital had said. But when Lucian’s hearing aids got put in, light filled his eyes – like he was seeing for the first time. Lennek’s reaction was the same, like a switch had been flipped. They both had this awestruck look on their little faces as they peered around the room, really hearing our voices and their own for the first time. My husband, usually the more emotional one, could not even talk because he was so moved. But all I could say was, “Hi baby, hi honey,” because I was equally choked up.

Now, over a year later, their “magic ears” are just a normal part of life. We came up with that name and wrote a little ditty about it: Magic ears so we can hear, magic ears so we can hear the day... I'll sing that to them as I'm putting in their hearing aids in the morning. At the end of the day, before we put on their jammies, we’ll say, “Good night, world, we’ll hear you in the morning,” before removing their hearing aids and charging them in the dock. They’re used to the routine of magic ears in, magic ears out.

Just a couple of days ago, I was reading Lucian a book about animals. When we got to the snakes, I asked him what sound they made. I made a hissing sound, he watched me, and then he tried to make the same sound back. I almost started crying because it meant he could hear the S sound, which is one of the hardest to hear in the English language. But he was also trying to mimic the sound, which was a huge cognitive leap. The fact he even attempted it was so inspiring. Now that they’re babbling a lot and getting closer to talking, we’re just excited to watch them keep growing and learning.

I think we were lucky that the hearing loss was caught when the boys were so young. Sometimes the problem isn’t noticed until there are speech delays a few years later. We read that for brain development and speech, it’s really important to get help early. But even before we knew this, there was no debate when the audiologist suggested hearing aids. It had kind of been one obstacle after another, so we just said, “Let’s do it.”

I'm really glad we did because the pros easily outweigh the cons. The boys weren’t old enough to make the choice, and I don't think it would have been fair to them otherwise. We don't always think about it now, but without the hearing aids, they wouldn’t be able to do the things they do. When I ask them where their soccer ball is, they go get it. I’m also pretty sure they can hear better than 90% of us! Andrea and I have become very aware of all the noises in the house. We’re also aware of the loudness and echo in certain places. It’s as if our boys’ inability to hear certain sounds has made us more aware of them.

I think that because they can hear, they’re very eager to learn. They love it when we read to them. When I’m the one reading, I have to try really hard because of the way I pronounce W and V. I only learned English when I moved to the US from Bosnia after the war – and I don’t want to teach them the wrong sound. For the moment, I only speak to them in English because I don’t want to overwhelm them. But when we’re reading animal books, I sometimes make animal sounds the way I learned them. That means they’re learning cock-a-doodle-do and kukuriku!

It’s almost weird now to see the boys without hearing aids. We were just looking at pictures from last year, and of course the boys have changed a lot. But when you see the hearing aids, you know it’s them. I’m a little worried about someone making fun of them later. But I also feel like the boys would be shocked because they're so used to wearing them. Their magic ears are just part of who they are.

Lucian and Lennek wear Phonak Sky^™ Lumity hearing aids.