Boy Hears Parent's Voices For First Time As Cochlear Implants Activated

A young boy beat the ground with excitement as his cochlear implant was activated – helping him hear his parent’s voices clearly for the first time. Neil Vazquez spent 25 weeks in the NICU after being diagnosed with a severe bilateral bran bleed and cysts, which developed on his brain tissue. It meant at just weeks old, he was fitted with a shunt, which helps keep him alive. After Neil kept failing his hearing tests, his parents Kelsi and Louie faced an agonizing decision over whether to have a cochlear implant fitted. The biggest risk was that the implant would be located near to where the shunt is, increasing the likelihood of it interfering. But after agreeing to go forward with cochlear implants, the family traveled to a different state to find a surgeon who felt comfortable working with Neil's unique situation. Once the surgery was complete, the family had to wait a month before they could finally activate the implants and see if it was a success. On December 16th, 2019, when Neil was aged two, the implants were activated at a low volume to help him adjust. As soon as they turned on, he started smiling and giggling as he finally heard his parent's voices.

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