Miss-Delectable
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Community support helps deaf boy hear - The Sarnia Observer - Ontario, CA
Four-year-old Cohen Murphy was activated on Oct. 26.
"That was the day he was turned on," says his dad Mike Murphy.
He's referring to Cohen's second cochlear implant, and when it was switched on the little boy from Sarnia had hearing in both ears for the first time.
The surgery was performed at Victoria Hospital in London, where Cohen's initial cochlear implant was done in 2008 by Dr. Lorne Parnes.
That first implant at the age of three gave Cohen limited hearing. The Murphys were thrilled that their son, who was profoundly deaf, no longer had to rely entirely on sign language.
They knew his speech would improve immeasurably if he had an implant in the other ear as well. But the Ontario Ministry of Health agreed to pay for one implant but not a second, Murphy said.
"We really wanted both for him. We made that decision as soon as the first implant was done," he said. "We want him to be able to talk and hear normally."
Murphy and his wife Krista pushed hard on behalf of Cohen. They were told they'd be billed for the hospital stay, surgeon's time and the hearing device itself. Expenses could surpass $40,000, they were told.
Fundraising began last summer and the Murphys were overwhelmed by the support of friends and family. One Dante Club event raised $12,000 and more than 60 local businesses and organizations pitched in.
"We really have to thank our family, our friends, really the whole city for everything they've done," Murphy said.
The Murphys started working with Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey's constituency manager Michelle Gray, who learned the ministry would cover the hospital and doctor bills, but not for the $28,000 device.
The next challenge was to find an Ontario surgeon who would perform the operation and didn't regard it as privatized medical care.
"The issue was that doctors felt it was fee-for-service and everywhere I went, I was told no, no, no," said Gray. "We kept hitting a brick wall."
Eventually, the Murphys found a surgeon in Newfoundland who agreed to do the implant, and expected to pay for the procedure privately. But just before leaving on Sept. 11 the family learned Dr. Parnes in London was on board.
If the Murphys could purchase the device he would do the surgery.
The U.S. manufacturer wasn't accustomed to dealing directly with patient families but agreed to sell them a cochlear implant.
"They told us we were the first Canadian family to buy it," Murphy said.
Most of the $32,000 raised by the community went to its purchase. The remaining $4,000 has been spent on travel and special batteries and cords for the device.
"It was day surgery and we had him home that night," Murphy said.
Cohen is now enrolled at the Hearing and Speech Centre in Vancouver where he will spend two years catching up on his speech and listening skills.
His mom, his baby sister and Cohen are staying with relatives while he attends the specialized school and his dad continues his job as a pipefitter in Sarnia.
"After two years, we plan to have him in a mainstream school back here," Murphy said.
"It took a lot of legwork dealing with the ministry and the doctors," said Gray. "In the end, it comes down to why the Ontario government considers the second implant elective surgery."
Bob Bailey gave his assistant a lot of credit.
"We'd like the rules changed so bilateral implants are not elective," he said.
To me, it seems the parents doesn't really accept ASL fully but used it because their son needed it. Now he isn't using ASL, they're thrilled. Sounds like they don't fully accept he is deaf, but now he has two CI's then he isn't that deaf. Go figures.
Four-year-old Cohen Murphy was activated on Oct. 26.
"That was the day he was turned on," says his dad Mike Murphy.
He's referring to Cohen's second cochlear implant, and when it was switched on the little boy from Sarnia had hearing in both ears for the first time.
The surgery was performed at Victoria Hospital in London, where Cohen's initial cochlear implant was done in 2008 by Dr. Lorne Parnes.
That first implant at the age of three gave Cohen limited hearing. The Murphys were thrilled that their son, who was profoundly deaf, no longer had to rely entirely on sign language.
They knew his speech would improve immeasurably if he had an implant in the other ear as well. But the Ontario Ministry of Health agreed to pay for one implant but not a second, Murphy said.
"We really wanted both for him. We made that decision as soon as the first implant was done," he said. "We want him to be able to talk and hear normally."
Murphy and his wife Krista pushed hard on behalf of Cohen. They were told they'd be billed for the hospital stay, surgeon's time and the hearing device itself. Expenses could surpass $40,000, they were told.
Fundraising began last summer and the Murphys were overwhelmed by the support of friends and family. One Dante Club event raised $12,000 and more than 60 local businesses and organizations pitched in.
"We really have to thank our family, our friends, really the whole city for everything they've done," Murphy said.
The Murphys started working with Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey's constituency manager Michelle Gray, who learned the ministry would cover the hospital and doctor bills, but not for the $28,000 device.
The next challenge was to find an Ontario surgeon who would perform the operation and didn't regard it as privatized medical care.
"The issue was that doctors felt it was fee-for-service and everywhere I went, I was told no, no, no," said Gray. "We kept hitting a brick wall."
Eventually, the Murphys found a surgeon in Newfoundland who agreed to do the implant, and expected to pay for the procedure privately. But just before leaving on Sept. 11 the family learned Dr. Parnes in London was on board.
If the Murphys could purchase the device he would do the surgery.
The U.S. manufacturer wasn't accustomed to dealing directly with patient families but agreed to sell them a cochlear implant.
"They told us we were the first Canadian family to buy it," Murphy said.
Most of the $32,000 raised by the community went to its purchase. The remaining $4,000 has been spent on travel and special batteries and cords for the device.
"It was day surgery and we had him home that night," Murphy said.
Cohen is now enrolled at the Hearing and Speech Centre in Vancouver where he will spend two years catching up on his speech and listening skills.
His mom, his baby sister and Cohen are staying with relatives while he attends the specialized school and his dad continues his job as a pipefitter in Sarnia.
"After two years, we plan to have him in a mainstream school back here," Murphy said.
"It took a lot of legwork dealing with the ministry and the doctors," said Gray. "In the end, it comes down to why the Ontario government considers the second implant elective surgery."
Bob Bailey gave his assistant a lot of credit.
"We'd like the rules changed so bilateral implants are not elective," he said.
To me, it seems the parents doesn't really accept ASL fully but used it because their son needed it. Now he isn't using ASL, they're thrilled. Sounds like they don't fully accept he is deaf, but now he has two CI's then he isn't that deaf. Go figures.