Posted on 10/01/2011 6:37:11 AM PDT by TSgt
Sloan Churman, 29, was born deaf and had never heard the sound of her own voice—until last week.
Eight weeks ago, Churman underwent surgery for a hearing implant called The Esteem Implant by Envoy Medical. Though she'd been wearing hearing aids since the age of 2, she says they “only help so much.” She had her husband record the activation of the implant.
We dare you not to break out into tears with her.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsfeed.time.com ...
Direct link to YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjU9U81O1n8
I broke out in tears - wow - what a wonderful thing to witness!
Rush Limbaugh powers Envoy Medical to new fame, investors
http://www.medcitynews.com/2010/10/rush-limbaugh-powers-envoy-medical-to-new-fame-investors/
Spearman estimates 80 patients have signed up for the $30,000 out-of-pocket procedure with another 400 expressing “serious interest.”
The Esteem device is located entirely in the ear. The system consists of a sensor, sound processor and driver. The sensor picks up vibrations from the ear drum and converts them into electric signals. The sound processor — a specially designed computer chip — cleans up the signals and boosts their power. Finally, the driver converts the signals back into mechanical vibrations and transmits them to the cochlea.
If Envoy can sell 110 procedures a month, the company would generate positive cash flow by March 2011, Spearman said.
Apparently, one of Envoy’s best moves was reaching an advertising deal with Limbaugh. For the last eight weeks, Limbaugh has pushed the product on his show and website.
As a result, traffic to Esteem’s website has jumped to 2,800 hits a day from 500 to 1,000 hits. The company has hired extra sales staff just to handle the volume.
Indeed, this story is a bit perplexing. Not only can she understand what is said to her when her eyes are closed (you can’t lip read when your eyes are shut) but notice how she speaks perfectly. I have never heard a deaf person speak like she does. Her enunciation is PERFECT for a deaf person. Just seems odd if you ask me.
Those people should watch this video and consider rethinking their celebration of disability.
There are few FReepers here with family members who happened to be Deaf and they've shared stories here on FR that cochlear implants may be effective for many people, it does not cure Deafness in everyone.
Perhaps we are a decade or two away from eliminating Deafness, but that day is not here yet.
In the meantime, leave us in peace.
Imagine how would you feel if you were born Deaf and you were implanted as a young child but the sounds that you hear are so disorientating that you cannot handle wearing the implant for an extended period of time? Many of my Deaf friends do not wear cochlear implants because they hate the sounds they hear while they are wearing the implant.
I had a dear aunt who was born severely deaf nearly 100 years ago.
Her first hearing aid came in a suitcase about the size of an old time doctor’s bag.
Through the years, she always got the latest hearing aids as they were developed. She picked up speech because when they were kids, she and my mother would go out to the outhouse and my mother would put her lips on my aunt’s ear and scream at the top of her lungs. My aunt always spoke with a speech impediment, but people could understand her. She managed to support herself very well as she was a very talented hair dresser.
She’s been gone for about 10 years now, but I still miss her.......I wish she would have had the opportunity to try this new technology.
I was glad.
You, on the other hand, are expressing bitterness and want me to leave you alone. Who the hell are you?
In my opinion, she had it worse than me because she never learned American Sign Language and she was never involved in the Deaf Community so she never really had support in coping with her Deafness. And she struggled in keeping up with conversation when there was a large number of people in the same room, which I noticed during family reunions.
I am trying to educate everyone on this forum that Cochlear Implants right now are being viewed as the panacea for Deafness.....however, that is not always the case.
We can agree to disagree, that is fine. No reason to claim that I'm "bitter". Last time I checked, FR does not tolerate personal attacks.
Surprisingly there are a few in the deaf community who are opposed to implants and who see them as a threat to their sign language based culture.
The militant deaf are not going to like this at all.
Refer to my # 11.
” Her enunciation is PERFECT for a deaf person. Just seems odd if you ask me.”
MY thoughts also. Unless you can hear your self talk.. Don’t know about the believable of that ad
My aunt never learned sign language either—her mother wouldn’t allow it because she thought that using sign language would cause people to stare at her. (Long time ago—people had funny notions.)
There was no Deaf Community in the town where she lived—Smithville TX—population about 2,000. As far as I know, my aunt was the only totally deaf person in town.
She was beloved by all who knew her, though, because of her kindness and her good works.
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