This is also something that has eluded four year old Austin Top, son of Brad and Marla Top of Valley Springs, SD and grandson of Marlyn and Mary DeBuhr of Ellsworth, MN.
Austin was born three weeks premature and had immature lungs. He was immediately admitted into the NICU at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls. At three days old, he developed jaundice which over the next few days became much worse. It was decided that a blood exchange would need to be done, and this seemed to correct the problem.

After spending the first 26 days of his life in the NICU, Austin was able to go home to his family and seemed very healthy. “Since he was a high-risk infant, we were required to come in for a routine hearing test (ABR-Auditory Brainstem Response) when Austin was three months old,” Marla stated. “This test revealed news that no parent would ever want to hear-that our child was profoundly deaf in both ears.

It was determined that the jaundice that Austin experienced the first week of his life had gotten so bad that it damaged his auditory nerve. Austin had a type of hearing loss called Auditory Neuropathy. “This is basically when the haircells in the ear work, but the message is not getting sent to the brain,” Marla continued.

In 2002, at the age of 1, Austin was able to receive his first Cochlear Implant which is a computerized device that may restore useful hearing to persons with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. “It is the only medical technology able to partially restore one of the body’s five senses - the sense of hearing,” Marla said. Unlike a hearing aid which amplifies incoming sound, a cochlear implant changes sound waves into electrical signals.

Although the family was extremely excited about the possibility of the procedure, the doctors in Sioux Falls were telling them that they would have to wait until Austin was about 2 1/2 years old to do it. “This seemed like way too long to wait. He had already spent the first three months of his life never hearing our voices, his sister Brooke, music, all of the sounds that we all take for granted,” Marla said.

Brad and Marla then decided to take Austin to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for another opinion. There, they were told that Austin would make a great candidate for the procedure and that surgery could be done as early as 12 months old. “They told us about the great success rates, and we knew this was the answer we were looking for,” Marla continued. “We made the decision and starting scheduling Austin as soon as we got home,” Marla stated.

On November 13 2002, just days after his first birthday, Austin was taken to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to undergo his first surgery. Everything went as planned and this tiny boy was that much closer to hearing the first sounds of this life. After the initial surgery, there is a waiting period while the incision is healing before the implant can be utilized. On December 18, 2002, Brad, Marla and Austin’s big sister went to Rochester once again to have the implant activated and Austin heard his name and the sound of his parents voices for the very first time. “What a miracle-our little boy could hear!!! He heard voices for the first time that day. Our entire family was there for that very emotional experience!”

Austin adjusted well to the new improvement to his daily life. The implant was turned very low in the beginning so as not to shock his system and then was scheduled regularly over the next months to have it turned louder until finally it was at full volume. That was when Austin began to speak and communicate with others around him, react to his name and recognize the voices of family members.

Since 2002, the Tops have been trying to get “another ear” for Austin. This past summer, Brad and Marla may have realized for the first time that their 3 year old son knew what was happening and knew that other children his age had both of their ears. After watching a movie in his room, Austin came out and said so frankly to Marla, “Mom, I think I want two ears.” The simple fact that her son was without a necessity and wishing for an ear, something that most children never have to think about drove Marla to tears.

On October 10, 2005 Brad and Marla submitted to insurance for the second cochlear implant. “This is something that we had been fighting with insurance for for quite some time,” Marla continued, But the benefits were so obvious to us.” Hearing out of only one ear, Austin was unable to tell where the sound was coming from, social situations were still difficult for him and school would also always be more of a challenge.

In November of 2005, word was sent from the insurance company that Austin was approved for one more surgery and would soon have full hearing in both ears. When arriving in Rochester for his November 30, 2005 surgery, Austin underwent tests for most of the day and it was finally decided that he had a cold and was too sick to perform the surgery. The worry was that his lungs may collapse in the midst of the three hour surgery. So the Top’s went home disappointed, but rescheduled the surgery for December 8.

On Wednesday December 7, the family made the all too familiar trip to Rochester once again. And bright and early on December 8, Austin was wheeled back into another successful surgery. He made a very speedy recovery, “You can’t even tell he had anything done, he’s running around like he always has,” Marla stated.

On December 19, 2005, Austin was finally able to have hearing in both of his ears. With the help of medical technology that nearly baffles the mind, this Christmas Austin will be able to fully hear all the sounds of the holiday season that he has been missing throughout his short life. It is a miracle and a blessing for everyone in his family. This will truly be a very special and memorable Christmas for them all.

By Nobles County Review
http://www.noblescountyreview.net/default.asp?storyid=24890&secid=101