“Josie Caven, who was born deaf, will be able to hear Christmas carols for the first time after having cochlear implants in both ears,” Paul Stokes reports for The Daily Telegraph. “Josie, 12, was previously able to distinguish only a few sounds through hearing aids which she has worn from the age of two. Josie, who lives with her father Richard, 43, mother Teresa, 37, sister Olivia, 10, and brother Anthony, four, suffers wide vestibular aqueduct syndrome. The condition, which Olivia also has, causes deafness through allowing an exchange of fluids that damages the inner ear.”
Stokes reports, “Mrs Caven, who runs the Old Station Inn, at Birstwith, near Harrogate, North Yorks, with her husband, said: ‘I have never seen Josie so happy. She heard Jingle Bells on the radio and when she looked up her face was a picture as she realised what she was listening to. She wants an iPod for Christmas. There is a wire which can go directly to the implants, so it will be like having her favourite music inside her head… Being able to see her face light up as she takes in everything around her is all I could have asked for this Christmas.'”
Full article here.
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That is f-cking awesome. Truly awesome.
great story! thanks MDN!
Someone should send this story the The Steve.
If Steve gets wind of this, i’ll bet she gets a free iPod.
I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.
I e-mailed MDN about this — imagine at least one other person did as well.. let’s put some $$ together and get this little girl a nice fat iTMS well so she can stock up on her favorite music!
–PC Apologist
Eeeeek. As a deaf guy I’m on the no-cochlear implant side personally. No poking around inside my head. I’ll wait til stem-cell research improves. Just be aware if you have any deaf friends and send this story around some might not think it’s too cool. I know, sounds strange but many are happy to be deaf and enjoy being in “the deaf world.” I’m happy for the girl that it worked for her and there were no complications during the surgery. In the past some deaf were forcefully given this procedure and actually died from infections so you can see why some are against the idea of this in children. If she wants it though, more power to her.
Great idea PC Apologist! Let’s get her ITMS address and send her gifts of music an videos!
Santa Dude
I can’t hear you, Don.
Don –
I assume you’re grown and have been deaf for some time. Might you have felt different if this procedure had been available to you as a child?
I had a cochlear implant two years ago at age 54, a few years after losing what at one time was perfect hearing. I used to love music, but it sounds too strange and unpleasant with the implant. Some with implants are lucky to be able to enjoy music, but not all are. Still, I can’t imagine why a deaf person would not choose an implant. If I don’t want to hear I simply take the processor off. I can enjoy the best of both worlds. But having been a normal hearing person and a deaf person I can say unequivocally that it is better to hear than not to hear. If Apple doesn’t give this girl an iPod, I’ll be happy to.
Don, good to hear your point of view too.
Macmind, your pun is way too cruel!!!
PC Apologist –
I’m just not comfortable with the idea of surgery in my head. Other people have other reasons. Some are afraid of being outcasts from the deaf community, others are afraid of change. Many deaf just don’t feel that they’re disabled or handicapped. You can call that denial if you like, some are just happy the way they are. Scott pointed out something most people are unaware of, the cochlear does NOT make you a hearing person. The sound is not the same as natural hearing and for some it’s just too much. Check out the movie “At First Sight” for a similar idea to how shocking a new sense can be. Anyways, for those who wonder about me not wanting it, I also don’t qualify. I hear too much, the cochlear destroys all remaining natural hearing so they wait til you’re past a certain point.
Again, it’s cool that this girl wanted it and it worked well for her. I’m just pointing out that for some deaf people being offered this is like offering a change of skin color to be like “everyone else”. Deafness is a strong sense of identity for some, not for others.
Now all she needs is thumbs!
Don –
Aye, I can dig it. I only meant that at such a young age, she probably doesn’t have much of a sense of identity at all. I only wonder if children are more likely to want the surgery, whereas adults may be more analytical about it.
To Don, thanks for your insight into this issue. I have been reading a book about Thomas Edison – famous inventor and very hard of hearing. Seems he preferred it that way as he felt that noise just distracted him from his scientific endeavors.
Avoman-
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Edison was cool. Graham Bell though… still hated by those who remember he wanted us all sterilized. But since 90% of deaf children have hearing parents… he’d be more successful if he sterilized hearing people.
It’s All About The Music.
Peace to all…
I’m familiar with deaf culture and how some value their deafness as part of their identity. The most extreme example was when a deaf couple attempted to ensure their child was born deaf, through genetic manipulation.
That story made me cry.
I love iPod.
Give Thanks to Professor Graeme Clark at the University of Melbourne Australia.
It’s amazing that people are willing to sacrifice something like music to have some sense of identity.
She lives with Mother Teresa.
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@GSJ – Sacrificing what? Seriously, music is vibration, deaf people can enjoy some of it too. And children are more likely to get them taken off – adults who lose their hearing are the ones who tend to want it and project on the kids who grow up and feeling they’re normal.