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1.21.2012

just race.

life is a series of races. especially when learning to listen and talk after being diagnosed with a sever to profound hearing loss.

once identified it is a sprint to get access to sound through hearing aids. training for the next race comes when you find a qualified AV therapist and begin bi-weekly workout sessions of therapy.

the next sprint includes hurdles to jump. insurance company's approval, speech and language tests, ct scans, surgery and activation.

then it is time for the marathon. it’s the longest race, but the most gratifying. it is the time when little one-sound utterances become words, then sentences. a well trained ear to hear all the sounds is needed to succeed on the long run. also lots of enthusiastic fans such as siblings, therapists and parents are vital along the course. they encourage, strengthen and motivate the runner to keep racing. talking. listening. more talking.

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as alexander celebrates his 4th birthday and 3rd hearing birthday we find ourselves celebrating so much more then a great runner.  we celebrate the speaking-hearing loss community. thank you.  what an amazing group of families, teachers, and educators to interact with over the coarse of three long years. you have given him the tools he will use for the rest of his life.

we celebrate alexander’s endurance to sit through so much therapy, speech and booth tests.

we celebrate his buddies who have a hearing loss. it’s been a thrill watching them grow. no doubt about it, they are exceptional kids!

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to think just three years earlier, as parents, we sat in a room together gazing at our children with heavy hearts and minds wondering what their outcome would be.  in many ways it was the starting line of the marathon.  in such a short period of time they have all found success in one way or another.  they are so completely normal, not missing a beat in life.

my advice to these kids: the fastest way to the finish is running. so keep running hard! right, left, right, left…then repeat.  thanks for running with alexander!

1 comment:

Jennifer said...

I had never thought about it this way. You are 100% right. We're running our marathon now too. :) Not quite at your point in it, but definitely seeing progress. We're at 14 mo. post activation. Thanks for the encouragement. :)