Final Days with John Tracy

We also learned about a hearing device called a BAHA. It is a bone conductor hearing aid for children like August. It is like a hammer hammering on the skull so the bone can transport the sound to the cochlear (normally the canal and eardrum do this). It is a very small box which is placed on a band like a headband. We wanted to get one for August so he could get his cochlear (inner ear) exercised and used. It just made sense to use the cochlear since it is functioning. I didnt want his brain to forget that it was there. However, our insurance would only pay for some of it so we didnt want to purchase one unless it made sense.
Was August going to want to use it? He had become a very independent little man and determined to get is way. He knew what he had. He understood that his ear wasnt the same as the other one. But still would he wear this BAHA. JTC allowed us to borrow one for six months so we could make a choice to purchase one or not.
We got it the day after his second birthday. I was so excited! This meant that August would be able to hear with both ears while using this hearing aid. It was so perfect.
Well, not so much for August. He was not so excited. We tried every tactic we could think of the get him to use it. But he wouldnt have it. I am not sure if it was because he had this headband around his head or maybe because sounds were clear and it was strange for him. He would hide his Atresia ear with his hand as if he didnt want to have the sound. It was a battle. But when he would use it, it was so amazing. He would hear things that he couldn't usually hear, things far away etc. It was great to see his response to sounds.
It was important to give the BAHA a try. Had August had the opportunity to try it as an infant, he would have been okay with it as he grew older.
After about four months of trying we gave the BAHA back to JTC.
While struggling to get August to use the BAHA, his good ear was progressing. His hearing tests just kept getting better and better. To us he was hearing like any normal child with two ears. Not to mention he was maturing like any other child as well.
A love for baseball, golf, race cars, trains, Elmo, Nemo, etc. He amazed so many people with all his passions. The ear was not slowing him down, not one bit!
Since August was finally doing so well with his speech and development and he kept showing no signs of being behind in any way, we stopped our visits at JTC. It was best to let another child, that needed JTC, be in our place. So we discontinued out visits when we gave the BAHA back.