Delia
This past fall, while at a local fair, our daughter Delia saw some cows. She sprinted over and exclaimed, “Wow! Big cow”! Her arms stretched out wide, signifying their size. I looked at my husband Tim, his eyes and smile beaming. I could feel the same emotion coming across my face. Exhibiting pure joy at the sound and sight of our daughter’s reaction to the cows she’s been accustomed to seeing in her storybooks. It was evident, in those few words; months of hard work were showing through. The work that was so crucial, because Delia is deaf. She was born with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. When she was diagnosed at just 5 weeks old, we never dreamed we would be chasing her through the cow barn as she shouted words in excitement.
"Fortunate for us, our early intervention provider Minute Man Arc, who is funded largely by the Decibels Foundation, has one of the best reputations in the entire state of Massachusetts for their programs for hearing loss."
The fears and challenges we faced as new parents, who also happened to be parents of a deaf child, were almost overwhelming at times. Fortunate for us, our early intervention provider Minute Man Arc, who is funded largely by the Decibels Foundation, has one of the best reputations in the entire state of Massachusetts for their programs for hearing loss. From when Delia was 3 1/2 months old, we became part of the Minute Man and Decibels Foundation family, and began making lifelong connections with others in her baby group and eventual toddler group. At one year old, Delia received cochlear implants. These have brought with them a new set of challenges as we help Delia adjust to becoming part of the hearing world. And she is thriving. Every instance of uttering the word cow, the turn of her head to her name, or her request to sing “Row, row, row your boat” is undoubtedly due to the talents of an incredible team of her speech therapists, teacher of the deaf, and other professionals at Minute Man Arc. We will be forever grateful for the positive impact Minute Man and the Decibels Foundation has made on each of our lives.
