Technology has created a simple moment between parents and their baby that wasn’t possible for this western Massachusetts family a month ago.
Charlie Sinclair was born profoundly deaf. She received a cochlear implant at UMass Memorial Medical Center to help her hear, and last week she heard for the first time.
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For the 10-month-old baby girl, receiving the implant is just the start of experiencing everyday activities in a different way, like reading.
“Now that we're reading out loud and she is actually listening as well. She seems more engaged in her books than she previously did,” said Charlie’s mother, Erin Sinclair.
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Charlie was diagnosed with Usher’s Syndrome, a genetic condition that caused her hearing loss and could cause her to go blind.
“If she does end up losing some of her vision in the future, it'll be really important for her to rely on her sound perception. And that's where a cochlear implant can be helpful,” said Dr. Divya Chari, Charlie’s surgeon at UMASS Memorial Medical Center.
The device, which has been around for decades, sits under her skin and connects to a receiver through a magnet.
“This is something that will allow her to go on to develop speech and language. It will allow her to communicate with her family, with her friends. She'll be able to go to school. There's really nothing that Charlie can't do,” said the doctor.
Baby Charlie is learning and growing fast and her parents are taking in every moment.
“She's going to have a brighter future now,” said her father, Tyler Sinclair.
“I can't wait until the spring comes and she's outside,” said Erin. “And she starts listening to the birds because she sits with me at the picture window every day and watches those birds. I’m excited for when she can hear the birds.”