Deacon

Photo credit: Brooke Jaillet Photography

Our son, Deacon, made our long-held dreams come true when he arrived in August 2012 and made our family complete. This joy was tempered a bit when we learned that Deacon didn’t pass the two newborn hearing screenings performed at the hospital.  At just nine days old, we were at Boston Children’s Hospital to have a more thorough test done.  We learned that day that Deacon had bilateral moderate hearing loss.  While stunned and saddened to hear the news of his diagnosis, we were determined to do whatever we needed to make all of our dreams for Deacon’s future come true.  The physician at Children's shared a packet full of resources with us that day.  She suggested we look into the few options available for babies that offer playgroups and speech therapy services.

"We are forever indebted to these phenomenal teachers and therapists who are dedicated to their respective crafts and are helping us to make all of our dreams for Deacon come true."

We knew when we went to visit the Baby Group at Minute Man Arc, which is supported by the Decibels Foundation, that we had found a wonderful fit for Deacon and our family.  Now fifteen months old, Deacon is thriving and enjoys attending the Baby Group with his friends as well as his individual speech therapy sessions with Emily Blumberg.  As we think back to how scared we felt leaving the hospital with our newborn son and then his diagnosis the following week; we were overwhelmed and unsure of what to do as we began to navigate this uncharted territory of “hearing loss.”  Truly, it seems like so long ago.  As a family, we all are in such a better place because of the support of the Decibels Foundation.  Deacon is a happy, talkative, and inquisitive boy who is constantly on the move…just like any other toddler.  As parents, we have learned a lot already and will continue to.  We are fortunate to have become a part of this community of families, teachers, and therapists who we know will always be a resource to us.  We are forever indebted to these phenomenal teachers and therapists who are dedicated to their respective crafts and are helping us to make all of our dreams for Deacon come true.

Dennis, Deacon and Ellen- Fall 2013