Did you know that only a few years ago, people who were born deaf had only two modes of communication available to them: reading lips or sign language. But today, people who are born deaf can be given the gift of HEARING through the use of a wonderful technological device called the cochlear implant. Meet Miriam Parnes of Boro Park. She’ll tell us all about the ups and downs of life with computerized hearing.
MJ: When did you get the implants and what are the best and worst parts about having them?
Miriam: I was nine months old when I got my first implant and four years old when I got the second implant. I remember the second surgery from the pictures I’ve seen of it.
The best part about having the implants is that I can hear. I don’t particularly like my implants but if I didn’t wear them I wouldn’t be able to hear. Whenever I take them off I can’t hear anything so if I’m in a locked room without my implants my mother has to bang on the door so hard that I feel the vibration. Then I know she’s out there and wants to tell me something. But it’s nice sometimes to not hear all the noise my siblings make when they play.
Hashem makes us all different and we don’t always know why we’re made like that but we have to accept it. Just like other people put on glasses so that they can see I put on the outside parts of my implants every day so I can hear.
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