Serlin's Story: A Cochlear Implant Journey
A child’s hearing plays a fundamental role in their overall wellbeing. As Serlin adjusts to her implant and grows comfortable with new, louder sounds, her family is thrilled about the positive impact this will have on her quality of life.
5-year-old Serlin was born with bilateral profound hearing loss, a diagnosis her family received when she was one year old. . Today, she’s beginning to hear and recognize sounds for the first time after receiving a cochlear implant at Children’s.
“Before this, she had never heard my voice,” her mom, Elvia, said. “We’re so excited that she’s able to hear us and we can now communicate with her in a new way.”
One’s hearing plays a fundamental role in their overall wellbeing and, as Serlin adjusts to the first implant and grows comfortable with new, louder sounds, her family is thrilled about the positive impact this will have on her quality of life. Serlin is a playful, smart preschooler who loves coloring and playing with her dolls.
“As an audiologist, being able to give someone the ability to connect with those around them with a cochlear implant is one of the biggest successes I can have both professionally and personally,” says Fran Tvrdy, audiologist at Children’s and Cochlear Implant Program Coordinator. “Being able to make a difference in a patient and their family’s life in this way is the reason I do this job.”