It can be terribly heartbreaking for any parent to see their baby born with a disability. Fortunately, there are ways to help tackle some of these challenges, like a cochlear implant for a hearing impairment for example. Though modern medicine is unable to offer a complete fix, the little successes parents see in their young ones are precious moments in life they know to cherish immensely.
Aida, a little girl from Rochester, Minnesota, was born with Waardenburg syndrome. The rare genetic condition, which affects 1 in 40,000 people, causes deafness and pigment changes of the eyes, hair, and skin.
As a result, Aida was born profoundly deaf.
For the first seven months of her life, Aida couldn’t hear her parents, or anything for that matter. After repeated visits to the doctors, her parents decided to get her a cochlear implant.
“The Dr.’s said I am the perfect candidate to receive bilateral cochlear implants, and I’m SO excited to finally be able to hear the world around me, just like you do!” they wrote.
Aida underwent a bilateral cochlear implant at The Mayo Clinic that would help restore her sense of hearing. It works by transmitting sound signals directly to the hearing nerves rather than amplifying sound the way hearing aids do.
In a Nov. 13, 2018, video uploaded by the Mayo Clinic, we are able to witness Aida discover her sense of hearing for the very first time in her young life—and her reaction is absolutely adorable.
Not only is she hearing the world around her, she is hearing mom and dad for the first time.
Her father tells her: “Hi honey, hi! Hey beautiful can you hear me?”
Her mother chimes in, “Hi big girl, hello!”
He further added, “It was worth the stress that we went through.”
Little Aida looks wide-eyed in astonishment and seems to reach for her mom’s mouth. It’s obvious she can tell where the sound is coming from!
Imagine how her parents feel at this moment.
Aida starts smiling as she fully realizes all those sounds are from her parents.
Mom and dad tell her, “We love you! We do!”
This isn’t the only surgery that Aida requires according to her crowdfunding page. She still needs to undergo a nasal reconstruction surgery and an eye correction surgery.
“Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? It is, but it’s ok ... I’m not afraid!“ her parents wrote. ”I’ve got a big fan club that’s rooting me on!”
Though the girl’s parents know that the journey ahead may be tough, the incredible moment when their little angel was able to hear for the very first time is something they can look back upon to keep them going.
Weeks after, the little girl not only enjoys listening to her parents speak but also hearing her own voice.
Her mother said: “Every time you put in her ears, she has to sit for a few minutes and listen to herself talk. It’s amazing to see.”
According to Global News, Aida’s parents say that doctors have shared that her hearing will get on par with kids her age.
“They tell us this is her new birthday for her ears,” her father said.
So far, $4,250 has been raised on GoFundMe, which will go toward Aida’s medical expenses.
It’s obvious that Aida is not alone in her struggle. One person even anonymously donated $500!
The immense support from all those kindhearted strangers is something her parents must be most appreciative of. Real kindness is at play. One day, Aida will look back on this time with much gratitude.
Such kindness only breeds more kindness.
