One of the deaf grandparents recently were very upset with their hearing son's decision for getting their only four-old months deaf grandson the cochlear implant (CI). The hearing son defied and dismissed their own parents' logical arguments about the false miracles and dangers of CI surgery and device. Of course, the deaf grandparents were very emotionally devastated of seeing their own son chose to shortchange the deaf grandson's own language development and emotional intelligence and cultural and linguistic heritage into the productive, well-educated and emotionally balanced citizen.
The deaf grandparents bought the costly airfare to fly down from the coast to coast to talk with the hearing son in person into reconsidering the option for CI surgery on the four-months old deaf grandson. Both deaf grandparents had the unsuccessful relay conversation thru the third-party (VRS). So the concerned grandparents willingly coughed up their air fares to do something about their deaf grandson.
The deaf grandparents deeply care about the well-beings and welfare of their deaf grandson from the lifetime mistake which will be not possibly reversed without additional surgery to remove the CI device. Many health insurance companies refuse to pay the cost of removing the CI device whether the device and surgery cause the life-threatening health problems.
The name of deaf grandparents and deaf grandson and exact location area to be temporarily withdraw for the full privacy of involved family members and let those involved parties to resolve their own family matters without any interference(s) from any audistic proponents, organizations and corporations.
Sadly, the deaf grandparents' legitimate concerns tossed out the window without appreciating the wisdom and love from our multi-generational family, especially the elders. Such types of Children of Deaf Children known as CODAs like the hearing son whose only fingerspell and reject the proud cultural and linguistic hertiage of their own parents and siblings and relatives. Another son fluently sign and proudly embrace deaf people as true human beings very well.
What's matter with the increasingly superior "digital hearing aids" much effective and reliable and removable than the forced cochlear implant surgery without the consent of deaf babies and youngsters?
Keep tune in the future blog posting for latest development on the deaf grandparents' strives to resolve the family matter without resorting to the legal injunction against the hearing son's family.
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM), RLMDEAF blog
I thought that the surgery cannot be done on a 4 months old infant? Most usually wait until at least 10 to 12 months. Also CI clinics usually require a trial of digital hearing aids use before being evaluated. That is too much young!
ReplyDeleteAlso that is so disappointing that the surgery was done while the family is in disagreement. What will happen in the future with the family stucture?
ReplyDeleteFirst, no one is getting an implant at 4 months old. It is very unlikely that it will happen until the child is 12 months.
ReplyDeleteSecond, WHY CAN'T HE HAVE BOTH???
The CI will very likely provide the child with excellent access to spoken language and he will probably be able to learn to listen and speak with minimal therapy and very developmentally appropriatly. He wouldn't fall behind or need to remediate.
SO, he can also learn ASL. He can be an active member of the Deaf community and grow up with full access to ASL and a signing family as well.
I have no idea why people in the Deaf community continue to fight against CI's. I know it is a minority, but clearly from this blog, it continues. It is stupid and asinine.