Brothers Adjust To Sound Year After Cochlear Implants
BEAVER DAM, Wis. -- A beaver dam family is celebrating a special anniversary this week. One year ago this week, three brothers received cochlear implants.
WISC-TV reported on Coltin, Riley and Casey in February 2007 when they received their implants, and WISC-TV anchor Susan Siman recently visited the family to see how the boys are doing a year later.
For the Mueller family, Feb. 2, 2007, will always be a monumental day in their lives. It's the day three brothers were able to experience a miracle together. The boys, who were all born deaf, received cochlear implants, and heard the sound of their mother's voice for the first time.
The last time the Mueller family shared its story with WISC-TV, Casey was the "child of the week" in his second-grade classroom, and his older brother, Coltin, and the youngest, Riley, were playing games.
"They're confident. They love their friends. They're so excited about going to school," Brenda Mueller said.
Their mother said their life has always been as full and rewarding as any parent could hope for her child. She said the boys' being deaf has been a gift because it gave them a place in a special community.
But Mueller said she wanted to give her boys choices and opportunities that only hearing people can enjoy. So, all three received cochlear implants.
WISC-TV was on hand a year ago when the boys experienced sound for the first time. The new sounds were a little scary at first. They were loud, and the boys said it even hurt a little to hear them.
After a few minutes, the boys relaxed and talked about all the things they wanted to hear. It was a moment their mother waited 11 years for.
"I'm excited and a little overwhelmed, because we worked hard to get here. It has been a long, long year. And I wanted everything to happen so fast, and I know this will be a long, long process," Mueller said in February 2007.
A year later, the boys are making lots of different noises that Mueller calls baby babble, but not many words yet.
"People ask me all the time, 'Are they talking yet?' And I laugh because it's almost like they thought they were going to get that implant and like two minutes later they were going to go, 'Hey mom! I'm so glad you did that to me. Now I can speak,'" Mueller said.
But that's not the reality. Muller said cochlear implants are a lot of hard work and it's a journey where no one knows the outcome.
But the boys have all said their first words. Riley said "stop," and on Mother's Day, Casey said, "I love you."
http://www.alldeaf.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=8
BEAVER DAM, Wis. -- A Beaver Dam mother said she is grateful and looking forward to experiencing a miracle with her sons -- who will hear sound for the first time on Friday.
The brothers, who are deaf, will have cochlear implants. Mother Brenda Mueller said they are anxious and excited about their new journey.
Three of Mueller's four sons -- Casey, Coltin and Riley -- were born deaf.
Their mother said their life is as full and rewarding as any parent could hope for their child. Mueller said that the fact that they're deaf has given them the gift of a place in a special community and is not a setback.
"Being deaf is a way of life and a culture and a beautiful culture in its own self. I've explained to other people you would not feel sorry for someone from Germany if they were speaking German and couldn't speak English," Mueller said.
But cochlear implants will give the boys the choice of experiencing life in both the hearing and deaf cultures.
"I don't feel there's anything wrong with my children. We're not fixing them; they're not broken," Mueller said. "I think the boys are excited, but they don't really know what this is."Both Coltin and Casey will have their implants turned on Friday, when the will begin to hear sounds for the first time in their lives.
Young Riley is already experiencing life with sound. His implant was first turned on two weeks ago.
"That day when they're turned on, it's not some big epiphany. It's very calm," Mueller said. "Last night, he was climbing on my back and my brother was over and he's making an attempt to make the same sound back, which is huge; it's huge."
Doctors said that actual words usually take three to six months. But just last week, Riley already blurted out his first real word -- "stop."
"I told him to do it, and he did plain as day. I almost fell over with the s and the t and the o and the p perfect. I made him do it again and again," Mueller said. "I waited almost 11 years for Coltin to say his first words. I try to keep my emotions in check. It's not a sad thing; it's a happy thing. But it is emotionally overwhelming as a parent to wait so long."
Mueller said that she had better odds of winning the lottery than having three sons who can't hear. But she said that this turned out to be her lottery and that she can't wait for the implants to be activated.
NOTE: WISC-TV will be with the family on Friday when Coltin and Casey have their implants turned on for the first time, and the story will air during the 6 p.m. news on Feb. 2. Tune into WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for part two of this story.
Deaf Brothers Get Implants To Hear For First Time - News Story - WISC Madison
Comments:
Jack’s Eyes » Blog Archive » UGLY TRUTH: THE THREE ASL BROTHERS
BEAVER DAM, Wis. -- A beaver dam family is celebrating a special anniversary this week. One year ago this week, three brothers received cochlear implants.
WISC-TV reported on Coltin, Riley and Casey in February 2007 when they received their implants, and WISC-TV anchor Susan Siman recently visited the family to see how the boys are doing a year later.
For the Mueller family, Feb. 2, 2007, will always be a monumental day in their lives. It's the day three brothers were able to experience a miracle together. The boys, who were all born deaf, received cochlear implants, and heard the sound of their mother's voice for the first time.
The last time the Mueller family shared its story with WISC-TV, Casey was the "child of the week" in his second-grade classroom, and his older brother, Coltin, and the youngest, Riley, were playing games.
"They're confident. They love their friends. They're so excited about going to school," Brenda Mueller said.
Their mother said their life has always been as full and rewarding as any parent could hope for her child. She said the boys' being deaf has been a gift because it gave them a place in a special community.
But Mueller said she wanted to give her boys choices and opportunities that only hearing people can enjoy. So, all three received cochlear implants.
WISC-TV was on hand a year ago when the boys experienced sound for the first time. The new sounds were a little scary at first. They were loud, and the boys said it even hurt a little to hear them.
After a few minutes, the boys relaxed and talked about all the things they wanted to hear. It was a moment their mother waited 11 years for.
"I'm excited and a little overwhelmed, because we worked hard to get here. It has been a long, long year. And I wanted everything to happen so fast, and I know this will be a long, long process," Mueller said in February 2007.
A year later, the boys are making lots of different noises that Mueller calls baby babble, but not many words yet.
"People ask me all the time, 'Are they talking yet?' And I laugh because it's almost like they thought they were going to get that implant and like two minutes later they were going to go, 'Hey mom! I'm so glad you did that to me. Now I can speak,'" Mueller said.
But that's not the reality. Muller said cochlear implants are a lot of hard work and it's a journey where no one knows the outcome.
But the boys have all said their first words. Riley said "stop," and on Mother's Day, Casey said, "I love you."
http://www.alldeaf.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=8
BEAVER DAM, Wis. -- A Beaver Dam mother said she is grateful and looking forward to experiencing a miracle with her sons -- who will hear sound for the first time on Friday.
The brothers, who are deaf, will have cochlear implants. Mother Brenda Mueller said they are anxious and excited about their new journey.
Three of Mueller's four sons -- Casey, Coltin and Riley -- were born deaf.
Their mother said their life is as full and rewarding as any parent could hope for their child. Mueller said that the fact that they're deaf has given them the gift of a place in a special community and is not a setback.
"Being deaf is a way of life and a culture and a beautiful culture in its own self. I've explained to other people you would not feel sorry for someone from Germany if they were speaking German and couldn't speak English," Mueller said.
But cochlear implants will give the boys the choice of experiencing life in both the hearing and deaf cultures.
"I don't feel there's anything wrong with my children. We're not fixing them; they're not broken," Mueller said. "I think the boys are excited, but they don't really know what this is."Both Coltin and Casey will have their implants turned on Friday, when the will begin to hear sounds for the first time in their lives.
Young Riley is already experiencing life with sound. His implant was first turned on two weeks ago.
"That day when they're turned on, it's not some big epiphany. It's very calm," Mueller said. "Last night, he was climbing on my back and my brother was over and he's making an attempt to make the same sound back, which is huge; it's huge."
Doctors said that actual words usually take three to six months. But just last week, Riley already blurted out his first real word -- "stop."
"I told him to do it, and he did plain as day. I almost fell over with the s and the t and the o and the p perfect. I made him do it again and again," Mueller said. "I waited almost 11 years for Coltin to say his first words. I try to keep my emotions in check. It's not a sad thing; it's a happy thing. But it is emotionally overwhelming as a parent to wait so long."
Mueller said that she had better odds of winning the lottery than having three sons who can't hear. But she said that this turned out to be her lottery and that she can't wait for the implants to be activated.
NOTE: WISC-TV will be with the family on Friday when Coltin and Casey have their implants turned on for the first time, and the story will air during the 6 p.m. news on Feb. 2. Tune into WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for part two of this story.
Deaf Brothers Get Implants To Hear For First Time - News Story - WISC Madison
Comments:
Jack’s Eyes » Blog Archive » UGLY TRUTH: THE THREE ASL BROTHERS
