New Ears For Cohen
Spende geschützt
Hello Everyone!!
Thank you for visiting Cohen's fundraising page for "New Ears". They're actually called Processors but it wasn't as catchy
In the spirit of Christmas giving, I am asking for your help. I know that many people make donations to charities around this time of year, and I am hopeful that you could take a second to think of Cohen.
With a trade-in of his current processors, we are able to purchase the new equipment for $6700.00 (that is for both processors).
Anything you can donate will be greatly appreciated. Even if it's $5.00. If 1000 people donate $5 each, we will be so close to our goal at $5000.
Technology is always changing. Think about your phone. How often do you upgrade your phone? Why? Because technology gets better. There's always a newer model because of breakdowns. It becomes slow and runs out of storage, the speakers stop working because of water damage. Most people upgrade their phones every 2-3 years. Cohen's been using his CIs for 8 years and we have been constantly exchanging parts with the warranty coverage. Now that the warranty has expired, we have decided that it is time to go for the new technology.
On Thursday December 1, 2016 Cohen and I travelled to London, ON to the Cochlear Implant Clinic at University Hospital where Cohen originally received his CIs. We waited 4 days for that appointment (4 days too long, but that is for another story). After an hour and a half of trouble shooting the equipment, we were told that both processors needed to be replaced. It did come as a shock that both needed to be replaced at the same time. We were hoping to upgrade one side at a time for financial reasons only, but in life, not everything goes as planned. We are definitely the poster family for that quote. Nevertheless, Cohen was very excited to be told he would be getting new processors.
Any donation is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
Krista Colombo (Murphy) & Family
Cohen's Hearing Journey
Eleven years ago on August 4, 2005 around 6am, after an all-you-can eat rib dinner the night before (if you can image the outcome of that I won't describe it for you) a beautiful boy was born: Cohen Michael Murphy, weighing in at 6lbs 15oz.
As a first time mother, of course I was always protective of him. After five infant hearing screen tests using broken equipment and getting reads with partial results, I was confident Cohen's hearing was fine.
At his 18month check up, Cohen was meeting all of his milestones, except one...speech. Cohen wasn't even saying close to the amount of words an 18month old should be saying. I wasn't sure what to think. Certainly hearing was not on my mind at all. The doctor instantly referred us for second opinions and evaluations.
After a year of waiting lists, consults, referrals, and two sedated ABRs, Cohen was diagnosed as profoundly deaf, bilaterally. I still remember getting handed the "For Families of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children" book by the Audiologist through the Infant Hearing Program in London, ON. I thought "Why is she handing me this book? My son isn't deaf!!" The audiologist looked at me and said "I'm sorry to say this, but yes your son is deaf". It took me a minute to comprehend what she was talking about. I remember her going on about options and that there is a way he can hear. She said "Cochlear Implants". I had no idea what that was but I was doing it. I had already decided. I was going to figure out what that was and I was doing it. Mind you, I had not even left the hospital room yet and Cohen was still sedated from the ABR testing, but I had already conquered that goal...in my mind. No one was stopping me.
After months of booth testing and dropping the blocks in the bucket and pretending to hear sound (I think only a few will understand that sound test) and 2 weeks of hearing aid trails, Cohen became a candidate for one Cochlear Implant, fully funded by the government of Ontario. Just a few weeks before Christmas, Cohen received his first CI and was activated a month later. I have the video of that day and if you are one of the few people that have seen that video, then you should feel very loved because I only show that to people that I know will appreciate that small thing we all take for granted....sound.
Now if you've seen some videos flying around the internet about these babies that are happy and excited when they are first exposed to sound then please don't expect that is common because most reactions are terrifying. Cohen wasn't exactly terrified but he was angry.
We went through months of exposure to speech and language with weekly visits to an Auditory Verbal Therapist and trips to London meeting families going through the same thing as we were. I was doing anything possible to get my son talking....nothing was working. I knew something was wrong with the way we were exposing him to sound but I didn't know how to do it or how to tell a professional they were teaching him wrong. I just knew it wasn't fast enough for what Cohen needed. I was starving for information. I couldn't get enough. It wasn't until I joined our local VOICE for deaf kids chapter in Sarnia, that I started to find answers. VOICE introduced me to The Moog Center for Deaf Education in St Louis, MO. They insisted Cohen and I attend the yearly parent workshop at this center in St Louis that they hold every summer. So we did. Cohen, his father and I attended The Moog Center parent workshop in July 2009. I found every answer I had ever had and they knew how to accomplish so much more than I expected. After 5 intense days in St Louis, Cohen was already producing more sounds than he had ever made in his 3 years of life. I knew I had to move there. I didn't know how but I knew I had to do it and that I was going to do it.
We came back home and told all of our family that I was moving to St Louis. Well of course everyone thought we were insane. How could I just pick up with this deaf child and a one year old and move to another country!?! Especially to the USA.
After weeks of talks, I was convinced to try the ONLY oral deaf school in Canada. It was in Vancouver, B.C. and it was actually further away from home than St Louis. The Children's Hearing and Speech Center of B.C. was a great school and I do believe Cohen would have done well there, but the audiologist we had to deal with at BC Children's was new to our particular brand of CI - "Med El". I didn't have the patience for him to learn on my son. Not when Cohen had just turned 4 years old and had only produced 3 words in 7 months (I want cookie) and had the hardest time wearing the CIs in general. We had a 40 minute drive, four times a day to and from the school from Coquitlam, BC. Fallon and I had roughly 2 hrs to go exploring every morning before we headed back home for lunch and her nap everyday before leaving to get Cohen again.
I was fed up.
Exhausted.
Burnt out.
Depressed.
I called up my family back home and told them that it was enough. I was moving to St Louis, MO so Cohen could attend The Moog Center where miracles happen. We called it "Disney Land".
And there we stayed for 7 years. Cohen accomplished so much. We met so many great families there. Many of them were like us and split apart from their families. So, we did what most woman would do in that type of situation. We built our own family together. I learned so much from many of those families and some I remain very close to still (My Moog Mamas).
After 4 years at The Moog Center, Cohen graduated and was highly recommended to enrol in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at Bellerive Elementary School through Special School District. This program is integrated right into an elementary school. Both Cohen and Fallon were able to finally attend the same school together, and Cohen was able to have all of his needs met through the DHH program. I can not explain how grateful we were to be in this place. We met so many more great families through this school.
In July 2016 I decided it was time to go home and deal with my personal issues that were holding us back from growing. Some of our hardest relationships to leave behind were the ones we made outside of the schools. We had so much love and support from a family we made in St Louis. We will never forget that part of our lives either.
Since September 2016, Cohen and Fallon have been in school at Sacred Heart Elementary School and have made many new friends and are enjoying school. We are working out the kinks still for Cohen but for the most part, he is doing well with all the efforts we have made together for better hearing.
Cohen is extremely excited to receive new equipment in the New Year. He even personalized his colours choices. I am excited for the new technology aspect of the upgrades. I have read that several adults have been appreciating music much more with this upgrade and we have a great appreciation for music in this family.
Cohen continues to play hockey and is able to appreciate the love of the game so much more here in our home land. He's been playing basketball and is asking to get back into soccer this spring and maybe baseball too. He's obsessed with his iPod, playing games and watching YouTube videos about DudePerfect, NerfGuns wars, Minecraft, and so much more. He's a collector of Pokemon cards and trading them with friends at school. If he's not outside flying his drone around or shooting hoops or pucks, he's annoying me with water bottle flips and asking a gazillion questions about life and telling stories about all of his interests and hobbies. Let me tell you, I never thought I would want to tell Cohen to stop talking, but really sometimes it is necessary.
Of all the appointments, moving, big city driving, sports and day trips with friends and family, I wouldn't change a thing.
Thank you for visiting Cohen's fundraising page for "New Ears". They're actually called Processors but it wasn't as catchy
In the spirit of Christmas giving, I am asking for your help. I know that many people make donations to charities around this time of year, and I am hopeful that you could take a second to think of Cohen.
With a trade-in of his current processors, we are able to purchase the new equipment for $6700.00 (that is for both processors).
Anything you can donate will be greatly appreciated. Even if it's $5.00. If 1000 people donate $5 each, we will be so close to our goal at $5000.
Technology is always changing. Think about your phone. How often do you upgrade your phone? Why? Because technology gets better. There's always a newer model because of breakdowns. It becomes slow and runs out of storage, the speakers stop working because of water damage. Most people upgrade their phones every 2-3 years. Cohen's been using his CIs for 8 years and we have been constantly exchanging parts with the warranty coverage. Now that the warranty has expired, we have decided that it is time to go for the new technology.
On Thursday December 1, 2016 Cohen and I travelled to London, ON to the Cochlear Implant Clinic at University Hospital where Cohen originally received his CIs. We waited 4 days for that appointment (4 days too long, but that is for another story). After an hour and a half of trouble shooting the equipment, we were told that both processors needed to be replaced. It did come as a shock that both needed to be replaced at the same time. We were hoping to upgrade one side at a time for financial reasons only, but in life, not everything goes as planned. We are definitely the poster family for that quote. Nevertheless, Cohen was very excited to be told he would be getting new processors.
Any donation is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
Krista Colombo (Murphy) & Family
Cohen's Hearing Journey
Eleven years ago on August 4, 2005 around 6am, after an all-you-can eat rib dinner the night before (if you can image the outcome of that I won't describe it for you) a beautiful boy was born: Cohen Michael Murphy, weighing in at 6lbs 15oz.
As a first time mother, of course I was always protective of him. After five infant hearing screen tests using broken equipment and getting reads with partial results, I was confident Cohen's hearing was fine.
At his 18month check up, Cohen was meeting all of his milestones, except one...speech. Cohen wasn't even saying close to the amount of words an 18month old should be saying. I wasn't sure what to think. Certainly hearing was not on my mind at all. The doctor instantly referred us for second opinions and evaluations.
After a year of waiting lists, consults, referrals, and two sedated ABRs, Cohen was diagnosed as profoundly deaf, bilaterally. I still remember getting handed the "For Families of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children" book by the Audiologist through the Infant Hearing Program in London, ON. I thought "Why is she handing me this book? My son isn't deaf!!" The audiologist looked at me and said "I'm sorry to say this, but yes your son is deaf". It took me a minute to comprehend what she was talking about. I remember her going on about options and that there is a way he can hear. She said "Cochlear Implants". I had no idea what that was but I was doing it. I had already decided. I was going to figure out what that was and I was doing it. Mind you, I had not even left the hospital room yet and Cohen was still sedated from the ABR testing, but I had already conquered that goal...in my mind. No one was stopping me.
After months of booth testing and dropping the blocks in the bucket and pretending to hear sound (I think only a few will understand that sound test) and 2 weeks of hearing aid trails, Cohen became a candidate for one Cochlear Implant, fully funded by the government of Ontario. Just a few weeks before Christmas, Cohen received his first CI and was activated a month later. I have the video of that day and if you are one of the few people that have seen that video, then you should feel very loved because I only show that to people that I know will appreciate that small thing we all take for granted....sound.
Now if you've seen some videos flying around the internet about these babies that are happy and excited when they are first exposed to sound then please don't expect that is common because most reactions are terrifying. Cohen wasn't exactly terrified but he was angry.
We went through months of exposure to speech and language with weekly visits to an Auditory Verbal Therapist and trips to London meeting families going through the same thing as we were. I was doing anything possible to get my son talking....nothing was working. I knew something was wrong with the way we were exposing him to sound but I didn't know how to do it or how to tell a professional they were teaching him wrong. I just knew it wasn't fast enough for what Cohen needed. I was starving for information. I couldn't get enough. It wasn't until I joined our local VOICE for deaf kids chapter in Sarnia, that I started to find answers. VOICE introduced me to The Moog Center for Deaf Education in St Louis, MO. They insisted Cohen and I attend the yearly parent workshop at this center in St Louis that they hold every summer. So we did. Cohen, his father and I attended The Moog Center parent workshop in July 2009. I found every answer I had ever had and they knew how to accomplish so much more than I expected. After 5 intense days in St Louis, Cohen was already producing more sounds than he had ever made in his 3 years of life. I knew I had to move there. I didn't know how but I knew I had to do it and that I was going to do it.
We came back home and told all of our family that I was moving to St Louis. Well of course everyone thought we were insane. How could I just pick up with this deaf child and a one year old and move to another country!?! Especially to the USA.
After weeks of talks, I was convinced to try the ONLY oral deaf school in Canada. It was in Vancouver, B.C. and it was actually further away from home than St Louis. The Children's Hearing and Speech Center of B.C. was a great school and I do believe Cohen would have done well there, but the audiologist we had to deal with at BC Children's was new to our particular brand of CI - "Med El". I didn't have the patience for him to learn on my son. Not when Cohen had just turned 4 years old and had only produced 3 words in 7 months (I want cookie) and had the hardest time wearing the CIs in general. We had a 40 minute drive, four times a day to and from the school from Coquitlam, BC. Fallon and I had roughly 2 hrs to go exploring every morning before we headed back home for lunch and her nap everyday before leaving to get Cohen again.
I was fed up.
Exhausted.
Burnt out.
Depressed.
I called up my family back home and told them that it was enough. I was moving to St Louis, MO so Cohen could attend The Moog Center where miracles happen. We called it "Disney Land".
And there we stayed for 7 years. Cohen accomplished so much. We met so many great families there. Many of them were like us and split apart from their families. So, we did what most woman would do in that type of situation. We built our own family together. I learned so much from many of those families and some I remain very close to still (My Moog Mamas).
After 4 years at The Moog Center, Cohen graduated and was highly recommended to enrol in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at Bellerive Elementary School through Special School District. This program is integrated right into an elementary school. Both Cohen and Fallon were able to finally attend the same school together, and Cohen was able to have all of his needs met through the DHH program. I can not explain how grateful we were to be in this place. We met so many more great families through this school.
In July 2016 I decided it was time to go home and deal with my personal issues that were holding us back from growing. Some of our hardest relationships to leave behind were the ones we made outside of the schools. We had so much love and support from a family we made in St Louis. We will never forget that part of our lives either.
Since September 2016, Cohen and Fallon have been in school at Sacred Heart Elementary School and have made many new friends and are enjoying school. We are working out the kinks still for Cohen but for the most part, he is doing well with all the efforts we have made together for better hearing.
Cohen is extremely excited to receive new equipment in the New Year. He even personalized his colours choices. I am excited for the new technology aspect of the upgrades. I have read that several adults have been appreciating music much more with this upgrade and we have a great appreciation for music in this family.
Cohen continues to play hockey and is able to appreciate the love of the game so much more here in our home land. He's been playing basketball and is asking to get back into soccer this spring and maybe baseball too. He's obsessed with his iPod, playing games and watching YouTube videos about DudePerfect, NerfGuns wars, Minecraft, and so much more. He's a collector of Pokemon cards and trading them with friends at school. If he's not outside flying his drone around or shooting hoops or pucks, he's annoying me with water bottle flips and asking a gazillion questions about life and telling stories about all of his interests and hobbies. Let me tell you, I never thought I would want to tell Cohen to stop talking, but really sometimes it is necessary.
Of all the appointments, moving, big city driving, sports and day trips with friends and family, I wouldn't change a thing.
Organisator
Krista Rose
Organisator
Sarnia Northwest, ON