Ellie was born with the ability to hear and never showed major signs of hearing loss. She learned to read and write and speak and sing and all of the things’ kids do as they grow. So when we discovered she had bilateral hearing loss at 5 years old, to say we were surprised is an understatement. We were in complete shock and couldn’t believe this was actually happening. We did everything we could to find out the cause…MRI, saw multiple doctors for different opinions, etc. No one was able to give us answers, and we really didn’t know what the next step was…until the doctor said she needed hearing aids. Ellie couldn’t hear her brother snoring in the car seat next to her and that’s when we knew it definitely was a major necessity.
That’s when we turned to the Dallas Hearing Foundation. They helped us through the process of her getting custom made earmolds and hearing aids. Ellie got to pick out the colors she wanted and actually had fun at the office having it all done. She loved Ms. Ashlynn and her “beautiful long hair” as Ellie puts it. Ashlynn answered all my questions and made the whole process so easy. Having a caring person like her to help guide us was really amazing. You can really tell she loves her job.
Ellie was excited the day we got her hearing aids and wanted to show them off to family members. She was proud and smiled from ear to ear. When we got home, she told me she could hear the water running and she could hear her hands on the towel when she dried her hands. Hearing those words really shook me to my core…I had no idea she couldn’t hear things like that. Thanks to DHF, these little everyday noises we sometimes take for granted are now able to be heard by my daughter. It has been such a blessing for her and for us…and we are forever grateful.
She loves wearing them and never complains about them. She says that having them makes her ‘feel happy and she has more fun now that she can hear better’. She also says she ‘likes wearing them because she has more time to hear and not having to waste time not hearing’, Ellie ‘would always say “what?” while at school’ to her friends. Now she has the ability to hear what her friends are saying as well as teachers.
It’s hard to imagine how life was before having hearing aids. It has quickly become a part of her and she is super responsible for them. She always puts them in the storage box and changes the batteries herself and always remembers to take them off before bath and bedtime. She has owned her new accessories and wears them proudly with a smile on her face. She is quick to answer questions about her hearing aids and likes to teach people or other kids about them. She makes me so proud of how she has embraced this change. The Dallas Hearing Foundation team has a special place in my heart for providing this for her.