Piper was born on May 23, 2008. She was a beautiful 5lb. 6oz ANGEL! It was a very bittersweet day. She was finally here, but struggling to survive. She had a cleft in her soft palate, causing her difficulty in feeding and maintaining her oxygen levels. The doctors transferred her to the NICU and began running tests. They decided that ambilical cord failure, combined with a syndrome was probably the culprit. It was the most devastating experience our lives.
To date, Piper has been diagnosed with profound bilateral hearing loss, Pierre Robin Sequence, respiratory distress syndrome, cortical vision impairment, and Cerebral Palsy. She has no hearing and damaged sight. This has created a huge delay in her physical and mental development. We heard of the leaps and bounds they are making in improving hearing in children using cochlear implants, and we decided that would be the direction we would take. A specialist referred us to Dr. Robert Peters and assured us that his team is the very best. The help and direction we received began as early as our first visit. The auditory-verbal therapist, Linda Daniel noticed right way that Piper was displaying signs of vestibular issues and referred us to an occupational therapist that specializes in children with balance problems and varied muscle tone. Our insurance didn’t cover the specialist, but the Dallas Hearing Foundation stepped in and covers the cost of this treatment Piper so desperately needs. She began to improve right away – rolling over, sitting, holding herself up and looking around with purpose. It was all very new and exciting!
Piper received her cochlear implant, and is now smiling at us and laughing when we do. Her father and I still get teary-eyed when we watch her look around in wonderment and smile when she hears our voices. Her therapists are astonished by the almost immediate change in her and her attitude towards the new world that has been opened up to her. She has been given the gift of a new beginning and a chance to lead a healthy life. To be able to hear us tell her we love her, to run and play because her balance is improving, and especially to be safe. Imagine your child not being able to hear a security alarm, smoke detector, or storm siren. Piper now has the options to do so many new things that were not previously available to her, and we cannot imagine other children not being given the same opportunity.
By supporting the Dallas Hearing Foundation, you can change lives and quite possibly save them!