Jessica Rodriguez knew she was missing something important.
The mother of two has been profoundly deaf her entire life. As a 7-year old, almost the same age her son, Jerico, is now, Jessica received a cochlear implant. She used that throughout her childhood, and she attended St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf (SJID), which assists deaf and hard of hearing children to build communication skills. But when it came time to transition to a mainstream high school education, at Francis Howell North High School, she decided to stop using the device.
Tired of dealing with battery issues and excessive noise she wasn’t comfortable with, she chose instead to communicate through American Sign Language and lip reading.
Twenty years later, though, Jessica started having second thoughts.
“I really wanted to hear my children’s voices,” she said.
She faced several barriers that seemed insurmountable:
- Since it had been nearly 20 years since she listened through her cochlear implant she didn’t know if the electronics still worked.
- She didn’t have a working external processor, so even if the implant was functional, she didn’t know if it would be compatible with currently available processors.
- She didn’t want to have another surgery to replace the existing cochlear implant, so she had to start with what she had.
- And even if the implant worked and there was a compatible processor, the cost to acquire a new external processor was daunting, even after insurance.
Where to start?
Jessica’s daughter, Mica, 3, has profound hearing loss in her left ear and moderate hearing loss in her right ear. Like her mother, she attends St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, as part of the Missouri First Steps program.
About a year ago, the Center for Hearing & Speech began providing audiology services at SJID, with Dr. Kate Sinks, the Center’s Director of Audiology, visiting weekly. The Center’s services at SJID include consultations for families, fitting and repairing devices, and working with the teachers at the school to ensure the students’ devices are programmed and functioning correctly.
Dr. Sinks worked with Mica, and she met Mica’s mom, Jessica.
“I started talking to Kate about the possibility that my old implant would even still work and what external options might be compatible,” said Jessica.
Dr Sinks was instantly interested in helping. “When Jessica mentioned that she was interested in using her implant again, I wanted to do everything in my power to support that decision. I could tell she was motivated to hear and expand her communication abilities,” she said.
First up, a phone call to Advanced Bionics revealed that Jessica has an internal implant that is not compatible with the latest external processor, but there was an older model, the Harmony, that should work with Jessica’s implant.
That good news was offset by the reality that Harmony processors have been on back order for a long time because of a supply chain issue. And the price of the processor was daunting.
Another issue Dr. Sinks addressed headlong was how Jessica might react to sound through the implant after such a long time in silence. Before committing to a purchase, Jessica would benefit from testing a device, so Dr. Sinks reached out to the lead clinical specialist for Advanced Bionics (AB) to request a loaner device.
The clinical specialist visited the Center and brought with her a Harmony device had recently been donated. The sales representative said this had never happened to her before. After a carefully planned mapping session, the stimulation levels were set and the processor was activated.
“Jessica did amazing hearing through the implant for the first time in many years!” said Dr. Sinks. She was sent home with instructions on adapting to sounds in her environment and exercises to improve her speech recognition.
But first, there was the matter of hearing her kids voices.
“My kids are loud!” Jessica said of hearing her children for the first time.
Hearing healthcare is a journey, and neither Jessica’s nor Mica’s story ends there. Jessica worked further with Dr. Sinks to fine tune her map settings. An important step in that process included Jessica finding her old processor in a box in the basement. Because the current hardware and software was not compatible with the old device, Dr. Sinks and the AB specialist requested special software and equipment, so Dr. Sinks could read the old device settings.
“Once we had her old settings, Jessica’s eyes lit up, and she was excited to hear sounds like she remembered from her childhood,” said Dr. Sinks.
Jessica also faced challenges while seeking insurance coverage. Her insurance company was out of network with Advanced Bionics, so appeals had to be filed before the cost was approved. Even with approval, however, there was still a significant portion that Jessica would be responsible for. Dr. Sinks suggested she apply for the Center’s financial assistance program. The family’s household income met the Center’s guidelines, and with the support of the extra funds Jessica was able to move forward with placing an order for a new Harmony as soon as they become available from Advanced Bionics.
Mica, who still has some hearing, will work with Dr. Sinks at the Center now that she is aging out of the Missouri First Steps program, which benefits children with hearing loss from birth to 3 years old. She will face challenges, Jessica said, “But it is good to know that Dr. Kate and the Center will continue to be there for us.”
Jessica said the experience of working with the Center was excellent: “The Center worked with me to get a working implant. Kate went out of her way to program it so I was comfortable. They provided financial assistance since insurance only covered a portion. Mostly importantly, they allowed me to hear my kids voices for the first time. That is a priceless gift that goes beyond words!”
To empower “Moments that Matter,” visit our Donate Page at bit.ly/Moments-that-Matter
