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October 15, 2005
Hear, hear, our boy's fine
Amy Watson and Damien Harrison have profound hearing loss. Two weeks ago, Amy gave birth to Ryder, their first child, a boy. Ryder was tested with Acuscreen, a new screening unit that detects hearing loss in newborns.
He does not to have any hearing loss.
Ryder is totally breastfed and a contented baby.
His parents are overjoyed at the birth of their son and neither is worried about his hearing.
"It doesn't matter to us whether he is deaf or not," Amy said.
Damien, a baker at Cripps Nubake, agreed: "It didn't matter, we love him."
The Tasmanian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital screens all newborn infants at high risk of hearing impairment or deafness.
Lee Kethal, Tasmania's first statewide public audiologist, hopes to implement a statewide hearing screening program to test all infants before they leave hospital.
Amy's hearing loss was caused by a viral infection her mother contracted while pregnant.
Damien's hearing loss is congenital -- half his family is affected.
But it has not stopped him forging a successful football career, playing with several clubs around the state.
Ryder's parents intend to put the television on, turn up the music and have all the sounds that accompany growing up in today's world, just for Ryder.
"Just because we can't hear anything, doesn't mean he will miss out," Ms Watson said.
By Jennifer Crawley
http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16923823%255E3462,00.html
Posted by 4HL on October 15, 2005 2:20 PM
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