Michaela, age 7

Hi my name is Brenda W. and I'm the mother of a 7 year old hearing impaired little girl named Michaela.

Michaela was born with a severe-profound bi-lateral hearing loss. She was diagnosed at 18 months of age. At that time she was fitted with hearing aids and plunged in to an auditory oral program and later auditory verbal pre-school/ therapy sessions. Michaela was also diagnosed with Mondini (cochlear dysplasia). We later found out she has Enlarged Vestibular Ducts as well. Both conditions put her at a higher risk for a progressive loss.

When she was 5 1/2 years old we decided to go ahead with the implant.

After careful consideration and research we decided on the MED-EL device. We had many reasons for choosing this brand. Some of them are:

	We liked their straight forward approach to the CIS strategy.
	We liked the availability of the BTE and the battery life.
	We liked that if she needed an MRI she could get one without removal of the device.
	We liked the compressed array option. She may have needed this due to her Mondini. However, her doctor was able to insert the regular array. She had just barely enough cochlea.
	MED-EL responded quickly when I emailed with questions. We had access to their studies not just the marketing material.
	We liked the re-boot capability. We have never had to repair a scrambled map. She's never had one!
	Michaela is active in all aspects of life. The implant has helped develop her confidence. She is in dance, gymnastics, played t-ball last year, and sings in our church children's choir.

All in all we are extremely happy with our decision and with her progress on the implant so far. She has been wearing her implant for 18 months. She is beginning to make up for lost time she had in the beginning when we didn't know she couldn't hear. This makes us feel really good!

Sincerely,
Brenda W.

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