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On the day she was born, Courtney failed a hearing test conducted by �þþþþþþþ�Ʒ Children's. She failed the test again before leaving the hospital. After more tests at �þþþþþþþ�Ʒ Children's Health, Jacksonville, her parents received the stunning news that Courtney was profoundly deaf.

Courtney’s mom tells of the day she learned that her daughter was deaf. “My husband took Courtney to �þþþþþþþ�Ʒ because I had to work, and he said that he’d call me with the results right away. He didn’t call me back — he showed up at my work. I knew then that it wasn’t good news. All we could think was she’ll never hear us say, ‘I love you’ and she’ll never be able to say it to us. All our hopes for Courtney seemed to die that day.”

When hearing aids didn’t work, the family went back to �þþþþþþþ�Ʒ to explore the option of cochlear implants. At just one year old, Courtney received her right implant. A year later, she received her left. Courtney, now three years old, continues therapy at �þþþþþþþ�Ʒ. She’s made so much progress that her mother, Debbie, notes, “You would never know she’s deaf.”

Breakthrough Treatment

�þþþþþþþ�Ʒ’ Cochlear Implant Program uses an integrated multidisciplinary approach to evaluate and manage treatment of children with severe to profound deafness who elect to have an implant. Often referred to as a bionic ear, the cochlear implant is the only medical invention available that can restore a lost sense. Experts from all related fields — audiology, speech pathology, education of the deaf, genetics, psychology, and auditory therapy — team up to treat each patient with the utmost care.

“There is great potential for success in a team approach to the very young child born with multiple ENT problems. �þþþþþþþ�Ʒ’ effort to bring unique services to this community has given us the extraordinary opportunity to build a remarkable team of pediatric specialists. Nowhere else does this capacity exist in the southeastern United States, and it is rarely approached in the nation.” Gary Josephson, MD, Division Chief of the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, �þþþþþþþ�Ʒ Children's Health, Jacksonville.