The parents of a profoundly deaf two-year-old are watching their little girl hear for the first time after the FOX 4 Problem Solvers and the dedicated staff at the Midwest Ear Institute made it happen.
Jamie and Jennifer Barnett were very frustrated when they first contacted FOX 4 Problem Solvers. Insurance wouldn't cover the cost of a cochlear implant so little 2-year-old Kierra could hear and they couldn't afford the expensive surgery. But they didn't give up.
Kierra has bi-lateral profound hearing loss, so she's never heard anything until this month.
"She would point to her ear and see the toys light up and then give us a high five every time she heard it," audiologist Erin Levy said.
"She has a bright future ahead of her and we're excited," father Jamie Barnett said.
Levy worked things out with the insurance.
"And we were like, 'Whoa!' We had been waiting a year for this and in a matter of two or three weeks it was all done," Jamie Barnett said.
"The one thing that we look forward to is her hearing our voices when she can hear our voice, when mommy speaks to her, when daddy speaks to her," mother Jennifer Barnett said in March.
Kierra's doctor says doing the surgery at this young age is so important
"We learn to speak and hear at the earliest age, so having that hearing as soon as possible helps the brain learn speech and language," Dr. Robert Cullen said.
"And she's wanting to speak so bad she just wants words to come out she tries so hard," Jennifer Barnett said.
FOX 4 was there two weeks ago when Kierra had the implants turned on for the first time. Kierra's audiologist said it was a success.
"It's the first time she'll hear voices and every sound, it's pretty scary and monumental," Levy said.
Kierra will go through some intense therapy the next few years.
"She'll be talking in no time, probably talking too much," Jamie Barnett said. "Hats off to you all at FOX 4 and Midwest Ear Institute."
The Barnetts said the one thing all parents can learn from their experience is that if you're worried about your child's hearing, get it checked out as soon as possible and never give up fighting for your child's medical care.
Jamie and Jennifer Barnett were very frustrated when they first contacted FOX 4 Problem Solvers. Insurance wouldn't cover the cost of a cochlear implant so little 2-year-old Kierra could hear and they couldn't afford the expensive surgery. But they didn't give up.
Kierra has bi-lateral profound hearing loss, so she's never heard anything until this month.
"She would point to her ear and see the toys light up and then give us a high five every time she heard it," audiologist Erin Levy said.
"She has a bright future ahead of her and we're excited," father Jamie Barnett said.
Levy worked things out with the insurance.
"And we were like, 'Whoa!' We had been waiting a year for this and in a matter of two or three weeks it was all done," Jamie Barnett said.
"The one thing that we look forward to is her hearing our voices when she can hear our voice, when mommy speaks to her, when daddy speaks to her," mother Jennifer Barnett said in March.
Kierra's doctor says doing the surgery at this young age is so important
"We learn to speak and hear at the earliest age, so having that hearing as soon as possible helps the brain learn speech and language," Dr. Robert Cullen said.
"And she's wanting to speak so bad she just wants words to come out she tries so hard," Jennifer Barnett said.
FOX 4 was there two weeks ago when Kierra had the implants turned on for the first time. Kierra's audiologist said it was a success.
"It's the first time she'll hear voices and every sound, it's pretty scary and monumental," Levy said.
Kierra will go through some intense therapy the next few years.
"She'll be talking in no time, probably talking too much," Jamie Barnett said. "Hats off to you all at FOX 4 and Midwest Ear Institute."
The Barnetts said the one thing all parents can learn from their experience is that if you're worried about your child's hearing, get it checked out as soon as possible and never give up fighting for your child's medical care.
