Heart to Heart
Family Stories - Camden
Just like every mother, I looked forward to my children’s well baby check-ups to find out how much they weighed and how much they had grown. My twins’ 10 month check-up, however, turned into a nightmare when the pediatrician felt a mass in Camden’s liver. Within days my beautiful baby was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare childhood liver cancer. Aggressive chemotherapy and surgery saved Camden’s life, but the chemotherapy left him with a significant hearing loss. We watched in distress as his twin brother forged ahead of Camden in language development and communication skills, and we prayed for a miracle.
Our miracle came in the form of Hearts for Hearing. I will never forget the day that the foundation contacted me and said, “We can tell you’ve been through a lot and thought you could use some help.” We had no idea how much that phone call would change our lives. Hearts for Hearing immediately set up an appointment with one of the finest audiologists in the area. They provided Camden with state-of-the-art hearing aids that allow him to hear within normal ranges. When we arrived home from our appointment that afternoon, we asked Camden a question to which he clearly responded, “Yes.” It was the first time he had ever said that. In the past he had said something that sounded more like “yah” because he hadn’t been able to hear the “s” sound.
From there his progress was rapid and unwavering. Hearts for Hearing provides Camden with outstanding weekly auditory-verbal therapy where he is taught both how to speak and how to listen. Our therapist not only works with Camden, she also teaches me how to support the therapy at home during daily activities and play. She even included Cole, Camden’s twin brother, in a session so that she could observe their verbal interaction and provide suggestions for capitalizing on it. Each week our therapist plays a conditioned-response listening game with Camden to check the function of his hearing aids and to help him feel more comfortable and prepared when he is administered similar hearing tests in the booth.
Hearts for Hearing has been committed to Camden’s participation in the hearing world. By providing him with an FM system, Camden is able to participate fully in a regular preschool program. His teacher wears a microphone and her voice is transmitted directly into Camden’s hearing aids. This enables him to discern the nuances of her speech even above the normal background noise of the preschool, allowing him to learn, and thrive, and grow alongside his twin brother and his typically-hearing peers.
This commitment was also evident when Camden had a growth spurt and suddenly outgrew his ear molds. As I waited for referrals and authorizations from my HMO, the feedback from Camden’s hearing aids due to the ill-fitting molds grew so great, he could no longer tolerate wearing the hearing aids. I watched in dismay as each day Camden spoke less and became more withdrawn. I shared my concern with Hearts for Hearing and they came to my rescue once again, providing new ear molds within two days and working with my insurance company to establish faster turnaround time in the future.
Hearts for Hearing understands that when a family member is hearing impaired, the whole family is affected. They have put us in contact with parent network groups that provide education and emotional support as we learn to parent a hearing impaired child. They also provide language enrichment experiences that both Camden and Cole can participate in. It has been important for both boys to see that many other children wear hearing devices, too.
Above all, Hearts for Hearing has provided hope. Every step of our journey has been made easier as this foundation has taken us by the hand and said, “You are not alone. We will be there to lift you up when times are tough and to celebrate with you when things are good. When you have questions, we will search for the answers, and when you need help, we will look for the resources.” What a comfort to know that we no longer have to walk this road alone.