HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (WSVN) — A 15-month-old experienced a hearing miracle after she heard her mother’s voice for the first time.
Toddler Genevive Schmalz could hear for the first time after she received a Cochlear implant, Friday. She typically responds well to visuals because she was formerly deaf. She was born without hearing in either ear.
For mother Kristin Schmalz, she’s had to rely on visuals with her baby, too. "It’s a lot of facial expressions, and she’s got certain noises that she makes when she’s frustrated or cranky or tired," she said.
Life for the Schmalz family is about to change. Audiologists at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood activated the baby’s implant. "Even though the internal part is in her head, she’s not hearing it because she needs the external part, which has the processor, the microphone that’s gonna pick up the sound," said Memorial Regional Hospital audiologist Bianca Castro.
"We’ve been waiting for this. It feels like forever, but it’s only been a couple months," Schmalz said. "It’s a good day."
After all the setup, it was time for baby Genevive to start hearing sound. "When I go like this, I’m gonna turn it on, and I want you to start talking to her, but keep talking to her, just because I’m gonna be going up slowly," Castro instructed.
The baby started to hear, and touched her ear where she heard the noise. When it became all too much, she began to cry. "She definitely cried. I think it’s better than no reaction at all," Castro said. "At least that gives us a little clue that she’s definitely hearing something."
When doctors used a harmonica to play music, it pacified Genevive and she moved along. "She’s a mile a minute," Schmalz said. "It’s so good to see her reacting to sound in general."
As of Friday, Genevive can hear at a reduced level, but over time, her parents will raise the volume in her ears. They told 7News that they can’t wait to see what will happen.