Our story
My world stood still the moment the audiologist told me that my daughter Charlotte had profound hearing loss.
I had never met a Deaf person in my life, and to be honest, I had no idea what profound hearing loss even meant. What would life look like from that moment forward? What were our options, and which would be best for our family? I felt overwhelmed, unprepared, and heartbroken. I felt alone and I had questions—so many questions. I never want another family to feel like they have no one to turn to who knows what they are going through. I hope this blog finds you like a beacon of hope. I hope this blogs shows you that while the news of finding out your child is Deaf is unexpected, it’s not sad. I hope this blog shows you that your child doesn’t need to hear you say I love you to feel it. I hope this blog shows you that although you feel completely unequiped in this moment, you absolutely have got this!
How i became such a public advocate for children with hearing loss
To be honest, I did not set out to be in such a public position for hearing loss awareness, but God had other plans. When Charly was fitted for her hearing aids for the first time, we captured her reaction and she in turn captured the hearts of people all over the world. The viral video of her hearing for the first time has been viewed 100s of MILLIONS of times worldwide. Talk about making an unexpected journey even more unexpected. This video catapulted our family
and our decisions in to the public eye and it has not always been an easy path. We have been both judged and celebrated for our choices, both supported and shunned for how we choose to raise OUR child with hearing loss. No parent should have to justify why they have made decisions that they know in their heart is right for THEIR family. Here is the thing, no matter what you choose for your child, if you are giving them love and language, you are doing a GREAT JOB!
