8 Month Old Deaf Baby Reaction To Cochlear Implant Being Activated

My nose is all stuffy now :)

Sorry, but I can't get it. Like refusing glasses in favor of life as a blur. Why?? Would he refuse braces on his teeth or insulin if diabetic?

Perhaps he likes being deaf?

I'm not really sure. He's 51 years old and was born deaf. Maybe it's just frightening in a way that none of us who hear could understand. I just can't seem to convince him to at least try. It's very frustrating.

I took asl for a while, and had a deaf teacher who explained a lot about cohchlear implants. It's really not something you'll ever understand unless you're deaf.

It's an issue in the deaf community and it's extremely divisive. I believe the basic argument was that, yes, they are deaf, but there is nothing wrong with them that needs to be fixed...and obviously there's more to it, but that's the basic bit.

Lee, that's basically what my brother has argued. I guess, as hearing people, we will have a very hard time understanding that argument.

It's an issue in the deaf community and it's extremely divisive. I believe the basic argument was that, yes, they are deaf, but there is nothing wrong with them that needs to be fixed...and obviously there's more to it, but that's the basic bit.

From what I understand, some deaf people feel that their use of sign language (ASL or whatever other country's version of it) makes theirs a different culture, and advocating for cochlear implants is tantamount to...I dunno...denying the validity of that culture? But compared to WHAT culture? If it's just a language thing, I'm not really understanding it, since I think that whatever sign language developed in whatever country is a product of the culture of that country. I mean, ASL and BSL have fewer signs in common than the speakers/hearers of American English and British English have words and phrases in common but I've never seen anybody advocating for ways to keep the British and Americans from engaging each other culturally in a purely physical way.

But then I'm not deaf and don't know anybody who is, so I might be misunderstanding the issue.

Sorry, but I can't get it. Like refusing glasses in favor of life as a blur. Why?? Would he refuse braces on his teeth or insulin if diabetic?

I would refuse to get on insulin diabetics can live without insulin if they eat right I am sure of that but most people are willing to eat they way they have to eat in order to not need insulin. I would not have braces if I could properly chew my food. I would not do it for cosmetic only reasons. I love to read so I wear glasses if I didn't love reading so much I doubt I would wear them cause I hate the way they feel and I cannot wear contacts they feel even worse. I know I would not have an implant in my head of any kind no way.

Some people like and accept themselves just as they are there is nothing wrong with that. Some people who are deaf may not want an implant so close to their brain. There are far worse things than being deaf.

I am a musician I have hearing loss it makes it harder for me to sing on key. I still sing when I want to. I can still feel the vibrations of sound and it is very interesting to tune my strings on my guitar by feeling the vibration it feels good ya know. Not hearing as well as I once did is mostly only a pain when I am trying to have a conversation in a noisy place. I still feel all the sound vibrations around me I have 2 dogs around me and I have learned a lot about vibration from being with them. I can probably feel more than most people can hear.

Sound is cool too and I hope the baby suffers no consequences of having the implant. I hope he does not live near an airport.

Little red, I can understand your brother's reluctance. It is the fear of the unfamiliar. He has dealt with this all of his life and has adapted. About a year ago I saw an amazing documentary about a man and wife in their 60's who both got the implants. The man adapted quite well but the wife did not. It was a horrifying experience for her, mentally and physically. This baby will do fine as he is an infant and is still basically an empty vessel waiting to be filled. Your brother is content with his life and where he will be amazed by the video, if he does not wish to pursue this, just continue loving him as you have all these years. Some have compared this to diabetics and insulin. This is a personal choice, not a medical choice.

This is a personal choice, not a medical choice.

Wait, I understand where you're coming from with this but I know diabetics who, without insulin, would die. Cochlear implants aren't a matter of life and death, as far as I know.

This was an amazing video. I had tears in my eyes. I have heard deaf people who don't feel anything is wrong with them and that they can communicate with sign language, so why change and get cochlear implants. I don't understand that thinking, but good for them if they can accept themselves in that way. I guess unlike a diabetic who needs insulin, they won't die if they don't get one, so I guess it isn't hurting them. Personally, if I had a deaf child I would get a cochlear implant for them. To me, I feel I would be doing my best for my child by giving them a fuller life where they can hear and that I would be cheating them if I didn't do that for them.

And Lisa Frequency, you don't have any understanding about diabetes. Sure most type 2 diabetics can get good control with diet and exercise, but some will be religous about their diet and it still doesn't work, with makes insulin necessary. I am a type 1 diabetic myself, and I don't make any insulin at all, so I would die without insulin, as would any diabetic who is insulin dependent. Insulin is by no means a crutch.

And Lisa Frequency, you don't have any understanding about diabetes. Sure most type 2 diabetics can get good control with diet and exercise, but some will be religous about their diet and it still doesn't work, with makes insulin necessary. I am a type 1 diabetic myself, and I don't make any insulin at all, so I would die without insulin, as would any diabetic who is insulin dependent. Insulin is by no means a crutch.

I hate it when people make assumptions about me you do not know what I might know. In fact I am very interested in diabetics as my son's dads mom is a type1 so I wanted to make sure my son would have every chance of not getting it since some of his 1st cousins are also type1s. I also took care of a type 1 who had been in a serious automobile accident and broke his femor bone he was on 3 shots a day and I did help him get off of it with his doctors help and guidance. Plus my husband worked in a theraputic environment to help heart patients loose weight most of the type 2s came off their insulin completely after following the diet he served these people. Many were told they were going to die and found out about the program all of them were candidates for surgery and did not need it after being on the theraputic diet people who came in in wheel chairs left walking.

It depends on what kind of doctor you have I guess. The kind who thinks type 1 can only be managed is not most likely gonna look for a cure. Anyway here is a link that might or might not interest you:

http://www.laleva.org/eng/2004/07/our_deadly_diabetes_deception_cures_vs_treatments.html

maybe he prefers access to the best parking spots over hearing, he's gotten by this long with out hearing, but it would suck to have to start walking from the back of the mall parking lot instead of 20 feet from the door. ;)

jamithy1: way to trivialize a major cultural issue and totally belittle someone you don't know. Here I am on a high (and teary) from the joy of the video and you have to insert your pettiness. Shame on you.

@4.6 I have had admittedly limited interaction with the hearing-impaired community, but I have seen enough to realize that they do indeed have their own sub-culture. Language and culture are linked more closely than many of us realize. My daughter took a few terms of ASL in college, and has been able to explain some of the differences in culture to me. We also knew a couple of young teenage boys a few years back, both of whom had cochlear implants. The implants do not solve all hearing problems, not by a long shot. I have listened to both of those moms talk about the continued challenges they face in helping their children live in a hearing world.

I would like to think that this sweet little guy will do pretty well with his implant, having gotten it at such a young age. That was a very touching and very special video. Thank you for sharing it with us.

jamithy1: way to trivialize a major cultural issue and totally belittle someone you don't know. Here I am on a high (and teary) from the joy of the video and you have to insert your pettiness. Shame on you.

It was meant to be slight humour. I was not belittling the man, but at his age he may very well be content the way he is. Alot of people see that being the way they are has made them who they are as adults and don't want to change that.

so shame on me.

Now this baby... great for him because he will grow up always knowing sound.

It's freedom pure and simple. His choice....

And the video is great-reminds us all why we continue R&D.

I have heard deaf people who don't feel anything is wrong with them and that they can communicate with sign language, so why change and get cochlear implants.

But there is more to hearing than language. Music, birds, foghorns, crickets...

Let me first apologize for slightly derailing this wonderful and positive seed, but I cannot abide medical disinformation.

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Lisafrequency-

When I read your first comment (4.7), although, wrong, it seemed you were making the common mistake of grouping all diabetics together. But in you response to Javabeen (4.11) you pushed me over the edge.

I hate it when people make assumptions about me you do not know what I might know.

Which, given your familiarity via the diabetic's around you, is inexcusably ZERO.

Here's what got to me:

4.6-I would refuse to get on insulin diabetics can live without insulin if they eat right I am sure of that but most people are willing to eat they way they have to eat in order to not need insulin.

You're at fault here for confusing, or not defining Type 1 or 2 properly.

I also took care of a type 1 who had been in a serious automobile accident and broke his femor bone he was on 3 shots a day and I did help him get off of it with his doctors help and guidance.

Type 1 diabetics don't need insulin? Bull@!$%#.

Excuse my anger, but if I had a dime for every crack-pot snake oil salesman (re: your link) who was attempting to give diabetics false hope of being rid of this retched disease I'd be a millionaire. (Just like the snake oil salesman) This is serious disinformation/confusion your spouting here, and it;s dangerous.

If the person you helped was taking three shots a day and stopped they most probably was a Type 2 to begin with and didn't need insulin in the first place in their particular case..

Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease. The insulin producing cells (beta cells) are destroyed by the body. We don't know exactly why, as of yet, but once they're gone THEY"RE GONE.

No Dr Quack is going to make them come back.

Please do some research before spreading your disinformation and adding confusion to this already confusing subject that we are working so hard to accurately portray to the public at large.

A little information can be dangerous, but medical quackery is deadly.

My qualifications? I have been a Type 1 diabetic for forty-six years.

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Again, sorry for the rather lengthy derail, and thanks for allowing me this indulgence.

From what I understand the procedure can be quite painful for those who have been deaf for a long time. We've grown used to the noises around us but for another person who has never heard anything ever before it would be quite an overwhelming situation. I know that for some they go through a very lengthy gradual process where they are placed in a very secluded environment and the over a year work to being in a normal environment. Some can never adjust. The equivalent would be to imagine one of those church bells going off five feet from you all the time. Eventually you would get used to it but how long would it take and could you do so without going crazy.

If the person you helped was taking three shots a day and stopped they most probably was a Type 2 to begin with and didn't need insulin in the first place in their particular case..

actually he was 15 years old and came to America because the only insulin he could get in his country was from pigs it was making him sicker his doctor wanted him to come to America to get on human insulin and was definatly a type 1. A type 1 does not go from being on insulin one day to quitting the next it is a process the pancrease has to start producing insulin before they can reduce or stop taking it. I don't believe you read the article all you did was jump to conclusions. Unfortunatly anyone who contradicts the mainstream in medicine is labeled a quack and a snake oil salesman. Nothing is absolute. When science looses it's open mind a lot is lost. Drs. are not God and they can make mistakes and they can even be wrong. Ima sure if you have believed all the years that you have to be on insulin that you would have a great deal of difficulty hearing that tpye1 could possibly be cured because it goes against everything you have been told. It is hard to give up a belief as you have illustrated. You accept yorself as you are which is okay with me.

Please picture for a moment the face of the child in this story, as it hears it's mother's voice for the first time.

Then as you picture that, tell me it's appropriate to get into an argument here of all places...seriously.

Start an article somewhere else and fight about it there, because it is an interesting subject...but it doesn't belong here.

Point taken Dubbya.

As medical disinformation can be deadly, it has to be responded to then and there. I did apologize, but I know what you're saying.

Its science

I think God uses the elements of science to preform miracles. And inspires people to use them too.

This is a wonderful scientific miracle.

What other things will we let others decide for us as far as seeking medical advice for our children?

I get what you're saying, but from what I've read, the only people objecting to cochlear implants in children have been deaf people as regards their OWN children, not anyone else's (but I could be wrong). They may also have issues with adults choosing cochlear implants them for themselves, IIRC. But then adults of whatever persuasion are always spouting off about what others should/shouldn't believe in/do if they want to be counted as part of a certain community, so deaf people are 100% normal in that regard as far as I'm concerned.

the only people objecting to cochlear implants in children have been deaf people as regards their OWN children, not anyone else's (but I could be wrong).

I wish I could say you were right, but unfortunately, there is a history of the deaf community contacting parents and complaining about their medical decisions. There was a story in the news a few years back about this...I wish I coiuld find that link. Instead I found one that shows that the deaf community considers the implants to be an "affront" to their "culture".

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/06/02/sunday/main10794.shtml

also mentioned is the history from the 70s of the deaf community's refusal to want to teach kids English - instead they insisted on the children only learning sign language. What a shame, b/c that left kids unable to read books. I fail to see how that's a benefit or a good thing.

I don't understand how anyone could object to giving their deaf child the gift of sound? Seems extremely selfish.

You're right bonos_rama...I learned about it too and was quite surprised.

The only downside I see to cochlear implants is that the hearing isn't 100% as natural and if there is perfection in stem cell therapy, because of the implants they won't be able to receive it (though, who knows, maybe there can be some surgery to remove the hardware and successfully place the new body parts)

But the non-speaking deaf community feel strongly about a culture they've cultivated and the unique type of solidarity they lived with. They have their own different sign-language accents and what not.

We could villify them and make jokes of their insecurity, but nevertheless they have genuine beef with it all...

They believe a child should have the right to choose when their an adult...but by then they lose a lot of formative years.

And even those adults who've chosen to get implants, they harrass...

They've resorted to literal threats which includes throwing rocks to break windows. Seriously...

Of course allow me to be un-PC with a true but funny type of threat...they call these parents in the middle of the night...and the parents hear...their silence...! Freaky stuff...

Wasn't it the Gaulledet School in DC a few years back where the students protested the new head master being a hearing-person? Strange to see their support for discrimination based on hearing, but then, I have no understanding of what it is like to be defined by a personal characteristic like deafness.

bigsafThey believe a child should have the right to choose when their an adult...but by then they lose a lot of formative years.

You are right about losing the formative years. The child can still choose as an adult to have the implant removed. I don't think many hearing adults would choose deafness though.

Yes. Joy and wonder.

You made my day with that video so thank you. Lol I'm such a sap...I keep tearing up every time I think of his reaction. I'm clipping it to Good News Week. I didn't see it clipped there yet.

Dang you got me leakin!!! LOL!