Holly S.

Tell us a bit about yourself

We discovered that Grace had some hearing loss when she didn’t pass the 6-month-old hearing test. We did an MRI at the age of 1, but it was inconclusive. A couple years later, and it was confirmed, she had single-sided deafness (SSD) in her right ear. Since no hearing was left in that ear, hearing aids would never be an option for her, but we were so lucky that Grace could hear 100% in her left ear. She was eventually diagnosed with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

In 2020 Grace’s audiologist contacted us with information on the Osia® System and the great support that Cochlear offers to families, I was all ears. We were put in contact with a Cochlear employee here in Canada. Within a week we connected with a family from Ontario. Their daughter also had SSD and had gone through the process of receiving the Osia Sound Processor. It was the support we needed to help make a decision for Grace. We were able to hear from both perspectives (the parent and patients’ journey). We will be forever grateful.

In 2021 Grace had surgery and the chance to hear. She was the first in the Atlantic provinces to receive the Osia Sound Processor. Grace will be 10 years old in June 2023. This is her second year in school with her Osia Sound Processor. It has helped her beyond our expectations.

We felt so lucky to receive support from the volunteer team at Cochlear, there’s no question that as a mom, I want to give back what was given to me: support, encouragement and reassurance. We are here to support you or your family through this journey. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us!