Being able to hear is something most of us take for granted. But for those living with profound hearing loss, life can be particularly tough. However, in a heartwarming turn of events, one nine-month-old baby named Everett Colley was given the gift of hearing just in time for Christmas this year. Thanks to cochlear implant surgery, Everett, who was born deaf, can now hear his parents, Ashley and Zachary Colley, for the first time.
A touching video captures the moment when Everett had his implants fitted. Beaming with joy, he nuzzles his face into his mother’s chest, overwhelmed with the new sensory experience. Ashley, from Yorktown, Virginia, USA, expressed her happiness, saying, “I think it’s mainly my husband’s voice that he seems to hear more than mine, but for him to hear that and go to me for comfort, it’s beautiful. I’m sure most people’s reactions when they first find out that their baby is deaf are like ours, it’s a horrible thing. But it’s not; it’s really beautiful. He has a whole outlook on life that we don’t.”
Concerns about Everett’s hearing were first raised after he failed his newborn hearing test. At the time, Ashley, 29, wasn’t overly worried since her other sons had also failed the test due to fluid build-up in their ears. However, after further tests, Ashley and her husband, Zachary, 30, received the devastating news that Everett had profound hearing loss. They were then informed that he would qualify for cochlear implant surgery.
Cochlear implant surgery involves placing a small electronic device under the skin behind the ear, which is attached to an external microphone. The device converts sound picked up by the microphone into electrical impulses that are sent directly to the brain. Everett underwent a four-hour surgery at the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters on December 6 to have the devices fitted to both of his ears. Two weeks later, the external portions were fitted, and Everett was finally able to hear his parents’ voices.
Instead of viewing hearing loss as a tragedy, Ashley and Zachary choose to see it as a blessing. They recognize that hearing is something many of us take for granted and have learned not to dwell on the negatives. Ashley concludes, “Try not to hark on the bad things; it’s a beautiful life that they live.”
