We all want our hopes and dreams to come to fruition, but what happens when they come to fruition before you’re ready? For Anne and Robert Brooks, their hope and dream was to give birth to a baby boy. This aspiration did come true, but too soon—their son, Luca, was born prematurely at 34 weeks.
As a result of the early delivery, Luca was born with, as well as diagnosed post-birth with Branchio-oto-renal syndrome. Anne and Robert with met with an Audiologist and ENT to learn more about Luca’s condition and potential solutions. After learning about all of the hearing solution options, they set out on a long and tiresome quest over the course of a year that consisted of carefully written emails, letters, and marathon phone calls with their insurance provider. Ultimately, this proved to be a fruitless effort, as they were denied coverage.
During this time, they came across Ear Community and learned met many other families who shared their stories and advice.
Anne and Robert discovered they could apply for a bone anchored hearing system (BAHS) through Ear Community. Their application was accepted, and they were matched with Oticon Medical. On June 6, 2015, little Luca was fitted with the Ponto Plus Power on a softband.
The difference was immediately noticeable. Anne noted, “Luca has started to mimic words a lot more now versus mostly just signing like he was before!”
Luca’s new Ponto Plus has had a tremendous impact on all of their lives. Anne added, “We are extremely grateful for receiving help for Luca by being able to obtain a BAHS for him so he can hear better. Thank you!”
With the support of Ear Community and the help of Oticon Medical, Luca and the Brooks family have learned that when hopes and dreams happen before you’re ready, they can still be turned into everything you imaged.
Read Luca’s full story at Ear Community.
Would you like to learn more about getting a Ponto for your child? Click below to schedule a call with an Audiologist today.
