Noah was born a healthy baby, with no complications. He passed all the newborn tests given, including the hearing screening. However, by 18 months, his parents began to notice that he wasn’t speaking as well as other children his age. By the time of his 3 year appointment, he still could not articulate his wants and needs. They were directed to Columbus Speech & Hearing.
Noah’s first appointment was a hearing evaluation. The Grimmetts expected it to be uneventful, and already looked toward the speech assessment Within the first 15 minutes of the appointment, the diagnosis was clear. Noah was diagnosed with mild hearing loss, which he most likely had since birth. “As you can imagine, we were in shock,” said Mr. Grimmett. “We couldn’t believe it. Everything went through our minds: How did we not notice? How was this not caught at the hospital? Is it too late? Dr. Emily eased our minds. She reminded us that he is only three, and with the right tools he will be just fine.” Noah was fitted with hearing aids specific to his hearing loss giving him access to the sounds he wasn’t able to hear before.
Often, children with hearing loss don’t sing songs or even follow nursery rhymes. Noah was no exception. In fact, in preschool when Noah was asked to join music time he would watch but never participate. Once he received his hearing aids, it was a different story. After only 2 months Noah starred in his first preschool play. Not only was he on stage with his friends, he was singing and dancing. “it was a joy to see,” Mr. Grimmett beamed. “We were so proud.”
The reality is, hearing aids will be with Noah for his entire life and he has a big life ahead of him. With school, sports, college, and beyond, his hearing needs will certainly change. That is why the Grimmetts are so grateful for Dr. Emily and CSH. “We want to express our thanks to the staff at Columbus Speech & Hearing. They are dedicated to their profession and to the success of their patients. Because of them, Noah and countless others are living in a better world. There will be daily challenges Noah will have to overcome, but we know that we have caring and dedicated professionals ready to help when we need them.”