Ask Me About Cochlear Implants

My husband Michael is volunteering for a few weeks on a construction trip in Banyoles (Girona), Spain with a team from Wheaton Bible Church in Illinois.

 He sent a pic of himself wearing an Advanced Bionics, Ask Me About Cochlear Implants t-shirt. I hope he has listened to me all these years and knows how to answer. Ha!

Inspiring Story - College Senior Accepts Position with Prestigious Law Firm

Congratulations Drake on your upcoming position. I am thankful I was able to work with you and your family for a couple years providing auditory habilitation after you received your CIs!  One memory I have of you as a bright, young entrepreneur is that you raised love birds and sold them to pet shops. 😀 I am very proud of your character and future hopes.

I have been blessed also with the opportunity to work together with the Drake's three younger siblings. All five of the Darrah children are internationally adopted. The Darrah's are raising their family with Cued Speech and wanted additional auditory based therapy for their children who today are all growing up and are engaging compassionate and successful individuals.

HOW COCHLEAR IMPLANTS ARE MADE- Behind the scenes

I've been a guest at Advanced Bionics Headquarters in Valencia, CA and viewed cochlear implants being made, seeing the technology and meeting the people.  One of my AVT graduates recently toured also and saw where her CI was built. It was amazing that the gift of hearing was being created in our view.

Below are links from the Med-EL Blog for behind-the-scenes look at how 
 MED-EL cochlear implants are made. 

How a Med-EL Cochlear Implant is made - Part 1

How a Med-EL Cochlear Implant is made - Part 2

How a Med-EL Cochlear Implant is made - Part 3

IL Hands & Voices / Guide By Your Side - We’re All E.A.R.S. Family Fun Walk

Welcome to the IL Hands & Voices / Guide By Your Side semi-annual We’re All E.A.R.S. Family Fun Walk. 

Get your walking shoes ready to raise money for families in Illinois to continue to received much needs services from our organization.

Click HERE for my FUNDRAISING page

Click HERE for the FUN WALK REGISTRATION page

I am on the Board of the ILLINOIS HAND & VOICES organization and support -

Our Mission:

Illinois Families for Hands & Voices is a parent-driven, non-profit organization that supports families with children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing without a bias around communication modes or methodologies.

Our Vision:

We envision a world where children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing have every opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Our Motto:

“What works for your child is what makes the choice right.” ^TM

Who Are We?

• We are families with children who have all types of hearing loss.
• We use many different types of communication modes: Auditory Verbal, Auditory-Oral  Cued Speech, American Sign Language, Signed English, Simultaneous Communication and Total Communication.
• We are deaf and hard-of-hearing adults.
• We are professionals.
• We are from every corner of the state of Illinois.
• We are united, because we are Hands & Voices.