T minus 16 days until Cochlear Implant, Pending Insurance...

We have had several people ask us "what exactly is a cochlear implant?" It's funny because almost every person who asks says: "Sorry, I am totally ignorant about this sort of thing." Please don't be sorry. We didn't have a clue what a CI was until a week after we found out our son was completely deaf. I always love educating people on the implant because it is a medical miracle. Technology now provides the opportunity for deaf people to hear the world around them. Why on earth would you do this to your 1 year old child? Why do you not let him get older and chose for himself? Well, here are our answers: When implanted at 1, a child's ability to learn and adapt to the new sound in his or her environment is easier than when he is older. They generally speak better and hear better the younger they are implanted. It is an extremely tough decision to make when you have a deaf child. You have people judging you all over the place (hearing and deaf). We decided that we have to do what is best for our family. We are a hearing and speaking family, so we decided to have Calan go down this road. I respect both sides of the argument on implanting a child, and I support any decision a parent makes for their own child. We will still sign, we will still teach him deaf culture, and we will never, ever, ever brush aside the fact that he is deaf. It is who he is, and we love him for it!