After months of fighting for the surgery, a North Carolina couple is celebrating a breakthrough for their 1-year-old daughter Laken. On Monday, she heard her parents’ voices for the first time after doctors turned on her cochlear implants.
“It makes me want to cry,†Laken’s mother Stacy Westbrook told CBS affiliate WFMY. “This is exciting. It’s kind of unbelievable.â€
Doctors performed the cochlear implant surgery, giving Laken the devices that restore hearing, last month. But first the Westbrooks had to overcome multiple setbacks, including learning their insurance wouldn’t cover the cost of the life-changing surgery, and the fact that doctors found too much fluid in Laken’s ears, delaying the original surgery date.
But it was all smiles on Monday at the doctor’s office in Elon, North Carolina, when Laken heard for the first time.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what effect hearing is going to have on other areas of development,†said Beth Whitfield, a teacher of the deaf who is working with the Westbrooks. “She’s already making better eye contact.â€
Stacy and her husband, Gary, were elated to see their daughter finally be able to respond to sounds. “If you’re talking to her, she stops or looks into your eyes when you’re talking. She’s never done that before,†Stacy said.
The couple decided to take on the cost of the surgery themselves after learning Gary’s employer, Sonoco, has an insurance policy that excludes anything hearing related.
The cost of the surgery is more than $50,000. Thanks to support online and from family and friends, they were able to raise enough for the $20,000 down payment.
“I don’t know that we would have ever done it ourselves. To see how that worked, it was amazing,†Gary said. “There’s no way words can show our gratitude.â€
For the Westbrooks, though the road has been difficult, Laken’s newfound ability to hear is priceless. “It’s been a roller coaster, but it’s the path we were meant to be on,†Gary said. “The best part to know is that this is all worth it,†Stacy added.