DHF Patient Testimonals (NEW!)

Thank you to

for the amazing photographs of our patients. These patients are proof of the real difference that DHF can make to those needing help through the gift of sound. Read the true testimonials below to see real triumphs made possible by the Dallas Hearing Foundation!

William Forman

In February 2002, after having lost all hearing, I found myself in a place of shocking isolation. However, by God’s grace, that all changed after being introduced to Dr. Robert Peters. Through the help of the Dallas Hearing Foundation, I was able to receive my first cochlear implant. Since the day of my “hook-up” much has happened. In short, I was able to return to full-time Pastoral ministry. One of the most important things that happened after activation was the fact that I could engage in meaningful conversation with my lovely wife again. The first words I heard her say were, “Can you hear me say I love you?” I replied, “Loud and clear!”

Fast forward five years … Once again, with the help of the Dallas Hearing Foundation, the North Texas District of the Assemblies of God was allowed to raise and donate the necessary funds to the foundation in my name, so that I could receive my second cochlear implant. This allows me to hear on both sides and has made significant improvements in my ability to communicate and interact in everyday life. I thank God for this organization and the blessings I have received through their work.

Alyssa Alford

My name is Alyssa Alford, and I was born June 02, 2008. I failed my newborn hearing screening when I was 5 weeks old and was later diagnosed with bilateral profound hearing loss. My parents were devastated when they heard the news, but eventually learned there was hope for me to hear and speak. I received hearing aids at approximately 3 months of age. However, I received very little to no benefit from my hearing aids, due to my degree of hearing loss.

In the meantime, my parents were informed about the Cochlear Implant and were given information. After doing much research, they decided it was something I could greatly benefit from. I received my first implant at approximately a year old. Within 6 weeks of being activated, my parents noticed that I was starting to make normal baby cooing and babbling sounds. Approximately 2 ½ months later, I received my 2^nd implant. Thanks to the cochlear implant, I made great progress within the first 3 months of being activated; I even learned my first word during that time! I continue to make great progress each and everyday with my implants, thanks to Cochlear Implant and the Dallas Hearing Foundation!

Brenda Shepherd

My hearing loss journey is rather short compared to others. I began losing my hearing in 2002, with tinnitus - ringing in the ears. My hearing loss increased substantially over the next two years. I went from being an outgoing confident woman, to a shut-in. I was fitted with two different types of hearing aids over the next few years, and although I did get some help with amplification, clarity of speech was not normal enough to carry on a conversation. Interestingly, my otolaryngologist referred me to Dr. Robert Peters, if my hearing continued to get worse. I had no idea of the miracle of hearing I could experience with a cochlear implant. I received my cochlear implant in June 2009, and only 9 weeks after my surgery, I tested to be hearing at a normal level! Once again I hear our dog panting, the cat purring, water running, and I am UNDERSTANDING WORDS that I have not understood in several years. I am so grateful for my cochlear implant and the help I have received in getting my hearing back on track.

With God all things are possible, and He has brought me through this successfully, using Dr. Peters and the cochlear implant! Philippians 3:13-14 says, ‘Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’

At my first appointment with Dr. Peters, I read a brochure in his office about the Dallas Hearing Foundation. I was so excited to learn that help is available for the deaf and hearing impaired. I knew instantly I wanted to be involved with them and help others have the opportunity to hear.

Cassidy Arnold

Cassidy was born with normal hearing and normal development. At 17 months of age, she contracted a near fatal case of meningitis which resulted in profound sensorineural hearing loss, as well as other impairments. Cassidy received her cochlear implant in her left ear at the age of 22 months.

Cassidy’s speech and hearing development was very slow at first. Upon her release from the hospital, she had to re-learn every motor function and overcome cortical visual impairment. We faithfully continued with auditory-verbal therapy with Linda Daniel for many months. While we knew she was hearing, we were unable to determine how much and how good her hearing was.

When Cassidy was 4 years old, we added an additional speech therapist who specialized in communication disorders. We began teaching Cassidy sign language in addition to speech. The physical aspect of sign language, paired with speech that she heard through the cochlear implant, really activated Cassidy’s ability to learn to hear and speak. Cassidy was able to use her hearing, her visual skills (to see sign language and the mouth), and her motor skills to learn words.

The cochlear implant has been vital in Cassidy’s speech and hearing development. As she learned to sign words she learned to “hear” the word as well. Over time, the words no longer need to be signed to her. She is able to hear and comprehend language. Through the cochlear implant, Cassidy has learned to hear and speak almost all of the sounds of the English language. As she learned more language, her communication has exploded. None of this would have been possible without the cochlear implant

While Cassidy did not follow the traditional path of speech and hearing development, she has learned to hear and speak by having a cochlear implant. Cassidy is positive proof that someone with challenges to overcome, in addition to hearing loss, can benefit significantly from a cochlear implant and learn to hear and speak. We are very grateful that Cassidy received her implant and that so many people supported us through our journey. We can now say that Cassidy is a hearing and speaking child! With assistance from the Dallas Hearing Foundation, many other children like Cassidy can also experience the miracle of hearing and speech.

Christian Hudspeth

Christian's first implant was activated on September 14, 2006. Since then, he has moved fluidly between the deaf and hearing communities of his church, school, family, and friends. His speech is clear, and he is able to discern everyday sounds. He overhears conversations, and will add his opinion in family discussions. This past year, Christian participated in Cub Scouts, and among his awards was earning his Language & Culture belt loop award. With his cochlear implants, Christian was able to listen and say ten words in the Shona language with the same ease as his hearing peers.

In February 2009, Christian participated in a Cub Scout food drive, which included a stop at the new home of former President George & Laura Bush. Appearing in several local newspapers, Newsweek, and Boy's Life magazines, is a photo of Christian shaking the hand of President Bush - a photo in which Christian is wearing his cochlear implant processor. Christian is a happy and confident boy. Thank you to Dr. Peters and the Dallas Hearing Foundation, for opening the world of sound and speech for Christian.

Dean Blanton

In May 2007, our son, Dean Blanton was given the gift of hearing through the generous help of the Dallas Hearing Foundation. At 12 months of age, Dean was diagnosed with a profound hearing impairment. We had been mentally preparing for these results and had made the decision that we wanted a cochlear implant for our son. Like many Americans, we found that Dean did not qualify for medical insurance that would cover his hearing impairment. For months we tried to find ways for our baby boy to get care. In October 2006 we found the Dallas Hearing Foundation. Approximately 7 months later, Dean received his cochlear implant.

The past 2 years have been a tough, but moving journey. Although we have had a few speed bumps along this road, Dean is doing wonderfully. As everyone knows, therapy is the key. Audiologist Linda Daniel is a very strong, determined force in Dean’s life. Proof of her hard work is listening to my son talk all day. Linda changes children’s lives. In addition to auditory verbal therapy, Dean has sessions regularly with occupational therapist, Pat Matzke. Also with the help of DHF, he is able to meet with Pat and work through his sensory processing. She is another very important person in Dean’s life.

Currently, Dean meets with Linda and Pat weekly, along with attending our public school mainstream Pre-K. He is speaking in 2 to 4 word phrases, asking questions, and interacting with other children. It is hard to track Dean’s progress, because he changes weekly. Dean enjoys music, cartoons, talking, and learning just like other children. He works very hard at speaking and listening. We are so proud of how far he has come.

Through the help of DHF we have a hearing, talking little boy. Without their help Dean would not be where he is today. We are thankful every time Dean says, “I love you.” Linda Daniel, Pat Matzke, and everyone at the Dallas Hearing Foundation have changed our lives. We are grateful everyday.

Garren Fletcher

I am 13 years old and I live in Whitesboro, Texas. I was born with bilateral aural atresia and other congenital ear malformations. Basically, that means I did not have ear canals and the small bones in my ears were fused together. I have moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears.

I have been seeing Dr. Robert Peters, my otolaryngologist and surgeon, since before I was 3 months old. He built my ear canals and worked with the bones to help them move. Dr. Peters and Melissa Benton, through the Dallas Hearing Foundation, have assisted me with obtaining my hearing aids and keeping them working.

Today, in my 7^th grade classroom, I can hear the instructions and assignments. Without my hearing aids, I have trouble understanding what people say and language sounds muffled like adult voices from the cartoon Charlie Brown! Thanks to the Dallas Hearing Foundation, I have hearing aids! I am able to participate in many activities such as University Interscholastic League competitions and band. I am a percussionist and I have all A’s in school. Hearing well has also helped me to speak clearly. I have many friends and I feel good about who I am. Thank you, Dallas Hearing Foundation!

Julieann Guerra

Our daughter, Julieann is a happy, healthy three year old twin, who was born with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss in both ears. As an infant, Julieann was very quiet, shy and always appeared to be two to three months behind her sister in achieving and accomplishing her fine and gross motor skills. Her verbal development and overall social skills were no exception. Julieann was diagnosed with hearing loss in June 2007 and two months after being fitted with her bilateral hearing aids, we could see a new awareness on her part, as if she was re-introduced to the world.

Julieann very quickly adjusted to her hearing aids and often requested they be placed in her ears first thing in the morning. Immediately after she started using her hearing aids, we noticed an incredible expansion in Julieann’s vocabulary and an increase in her verbal and comprehension skills. Her sentence structure has evolved from two or three words to complete, fluent sentences using several words. Her receptive and expressive communication has undeniably progressed to

an appropriate developmental level.

Her hearing aids have given her a sense of self confidence and a chance to assert her independence. She has begun to socialize more with other children, and we feel that her hearing aids have opened up the opportunity for Julieann to reach her full God-given potential. It is our belief that her hearing aids have jump-started her inquisitive mind and have made her more aware of her surroundings. She has encompassed her sensory world and is now learning how to filter through the multiple stimuli in her environment.

The developmental and speech gap between her and her sister is diminishing. She is now physically stronger and faster than her sister, and at times will even

vocalize her verbal expression over her sister.

As all parents do, we take great pride in watching our princess develop her verbal and comprehension skills to new levels. She is beginning to assert herself as a leader instead of a follower. We look forward with great anticipation to her continued success! With assistance from the Dallas Hearing Foundation, many other children can have the same bright future that Julieann has.

Lauren Sutton

My name is Lauren Sutton. I was 7 years old when I was implanted with my first cochlear implant, and 8 years old when I received the second implant. My cochlear implants have made me hear so much better! Now I can hear the wind, the thunder, the water running in the bathtub and my brother (but sometimes I think, “Why?!”) The first time I heard it rain, I said "Momma, what is that noise?"

I love watching the Texas Longhorns, the Dallas Cowboys, and especially Jason Witten! Now I can hear the commentators say his name on TV! It is amazing how my life has been improved and changed! I would tell anyone that cannot hear, if you can, get a cochlear implant - it will make your life so much better! - Lauren Sutton

It is astonishing to see the difference in our daughter! She has gone from an introvert to an extrovert, in the true sense of the word. She is not the "shy" little girl she once was because, with her cochlear implants, she can now hear what people are saying to her! She has blossomed unbelievably! It is amazing to see how she has gained so much courage to step out in front and make a difference. She has become quite the vocal advocate for herself and will let you know when she cannot hear! She has such a sweet and caring personality, and her cochlear implants have so enriched, not only Lauren's life, but the lives of the rest of her family as well! We are so thankful for the advancement of science. Without this advanced technology, Lauren would miss out on so much! We had a rough start in the beginning, but once Lauren became acclimated to her new hearing, it has been awesome. We cannot say enough praises about Dr. Peters,

Dr. Dansby, Leslie, Linda, Kari, the Dallas Hearing Foundation, and the rest of the cochlear team. They are amazing! Thank you so much for giving our "hearing" daughter back to us. We are forever indebted to you!!

- The Suttons

Meghana Vedala

Meghana‘s hearing loss was diagnosed at the age of 8 months. We were in India

at that time and the cause of hearing loss was unknown, as she was a full term baby. Initially we thought it was due to an ear infection, and after wasting a couple of months on antibiotics, we finally hooked her up with hearing aids. For almost three years, we struggled with hearing aids and speech therapy, and the results were frustrating.

Meghana was barely speaking phrases at that time. We moved back to the USA in March 2006 and got her enrolled in Plano Independent School District’s Early Childhood School. There we learned about Dr. Robert Peters, and that was the best thing that has ever happened to Meghana.

Dr. Peters and his team were so helpful and they gave us all the information about cochlear implants. Meghana got her first implant in June 2007 and with the help of Linda Daniel, her speech therapist, her progress just took off! She did amazingly well in the first year and was very eager to get her second implant, so we went ahead with her second implant in March 2008. She is in the first grade now and is learning everything so quickly. We are so happy today and we are very thankful to Dr. Peters, the Dallas Hearing Foundation, and everyone who helped us in making everything right for Meghana.

Payton Lange

Payton Lange was born on June 22^nd, 2004 and did not pass his newborn hearing screening. After being confirmed as profoundly deaf by the staff at Dr. B. Robert Peters’ office, he began wearing hearing aids and started auditory-verbal therapy. He was supposed to be implanted shortly after his first birthday, but the insurance would not approve the surgery. After a long battle with the insurance company, both ears were finally approved for implantation. Payton received his surgery on October 10, 2005. He became the proud owner of two Cochlear Nucleus Freedom devices. They were “turned on” on October 31^st (Halloween). What a treat!

When Payton turned 3 years old he started an all-day oral preschool program. He loves school. He has a hunger for learning and the drive to accomplish anything put before him. When he gets home from school he likes to pretend to be the teacher for his 3 younger siblings. Often we will hear him teaching them songs and lessons or providing speech therapy. He is now in Kindergarten, mainstreamed part of the day. His speech and language have improved by leaps and bounds over the last 4 years and we are extremely proud of how well he is doing. Payton is meeting and exceeding all the goals that teachers and we as his parents put before him.

In his free time Payton is involved in Karate. He loves it and is able to keep up with the class, learning new lessons every week. One of Payton’s other favorite things to do is play games on the Nintendo Wii. He likes to play Mario Kart, Lego Batman, Guitar Hero, and Wii Music. He definitely has an appreciation and love for music.

We wanted our son to have a chance to communicate, learn, and socialize just like everyone else; a chance to lead an independent life and be anything he wants to be. Everything we wanted for our son is coming to be; he is very independent, happy, and excited about life. When I asked him what he wants to be when he grows up he said, “A Superhero, because I want to help people.” I believe he will be a “Superhero” of some sort helping people just as he experienced people helping him, especially the Dallas Hearing Foundation.

Our family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the Dallas Hearing Foundation for all of the talent, support, and guidance they bestowed upon us. They have been there from the beginning through all of our family struggles with a constant message of hope. We were treated with care, compassion, love, and understanding throughout our journey. In helping Payton, they forever changed his life and also the lives of so many around him. It brings tears to my eyes to think of the Dallas Hearing Foundation and the good they do for so many. There is always a success story, because these kids have been given a gift and told they can do anything. The future is bright for the Dallas Hearing Foundation because of the spark it has lit in so many people.

Piper Owens-Cooksey

Piper was born on May 23, 2008. She was a beautiful 5lb. 6oz ANGEL! It was a very bittersweet day. She was finally here, but struggling to survive. She had a cleft in her soft palate, causing her difficulty in feeding and maintaining her oxygen levels. The doctors transferred her to the NICU and began running tests. They decided that umbilical cord failure, combined with a syndrome was probably the culprit. It was the most devastating experience in our lives. To date, Piper has been diagnosed with profound bilateral hearing loss,

Pierre Robin Sequence, respiratory distress syndrome, cortical vision impairment, and Cerebral Palsy. She has no hearing and damaged sight. This has created a huge delay in her physical and mental development. We heard of the leaps and bounds they are making in improving hearing in children using cochlear implants, and we decided that would be the direction we would take.

A specialist referred us to Dr. Robert Peters and assured us that his team is the very best. The help and direction we received began as early as our first visit. The auditory-verbal therapist, Linda Daniel noticed right way that Piper was displaying signs of vestibular issues and referred us to an occupational therapist that specializes in children with balance problems and varied muscle tone. Our insurance didn’t cover the specialist, but the Dallas Hearing Foundation stepped in and covered the cost of this treatment Piper so desperately needs. She began to improve right away - rolling over, sitting, holding herself up and looking around with purpose. It was all very new and exciting!

Piper received her cochlear implant, and is now smiling at us and laughing when we do. Her father and I still get teary-eyed when we watch her look around in wonderment and smile when she hears our voices. Her therapists are astonished by the almost immediate change in her and her attitude towards the new world that has been opened up to her. She has been given the gift of a new beginning and a chance to lead a healthy life - to be able to hear us tell her we love her, to run and play because her balance is improving, and especially to be safe. Imagine your child not being able to hear a security alarm, smoke detector, or storm siren. Piper now has the options to do so many new things that were not previously available to her, and we cannot imagine other children not being given the same opportunity. By supporting the Dallas Hearing Foundation, you can change lives and quite possibly save them!

The Capen Family

Bruce, Rebecca, Aliza, & Bruce Jr.

When our daughter Aliza was diagnosed as having lost her hearing in 2002 at the

age of twelve months, we began to investigate cochlear implants. All roads led to Dr. Robert Peters, president of the Dallas Hearing Foundation. After five months of discussion with adult implantees and other parents of deaf children, much research and assessments with Dr. Peters, not only did we have Aliza implanted, but both of us, as parents, were implanted as well.

When our son Bruce Jr. was diagnosed as deaf in infancy, we elected to have him bilaterally implanted; at the same time, Aliza chose to have her left ear implanted (she would not let her brother have an advantage over her!) Seven years and six cochlear implants later, we know we did the best thing for each of us individually and as a family.

Rapid speech development was the rule with our children. Through auditory-verbal therapy sessions with Linda Daniel, practice at home, socialization with family and friends, and the wonderful education provided at Pearson Early Childhood Center, Bruce and Aliza continue to amaze everyone with whom they come in contact, with their ability to hear and speak as normally and age appropriately as other children. People we meet for the first time indicate they would not have known the kids were deaf, until they see the devices, because they speak so clearly, so naturally and without the “deaf” accent.

Bruce sings to the car radio and Aliza listens to her Hannah Montana and High School Musical CD’s. They are inquisitive, alert, intelligent children for whom cochlear implants have expanded another dimension to their lives. As deaf parents of Aliza and Bruce, we know we made the right decision for them. Cochlear implants will continue to serve them well throughout their lives.

Most children today are totally into technology – in their case, the technology is into them! The future holds amazing and endless possibilities for them!