Aiden’s life was changed forever when he received bone anchored hearing aids at Nemours Children’s Health. Born with hearing loss, Aiden has worn hearing aids since he was just 5 months old. His family moved to the area when he was 5 years old, and it was at this time that he started receiving treatment at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida.
Recently, during his junior year of high school, Aiden underwent surgeries with Dr. Cedric Pritchett for bone anchored hearing aids on both ears. “My audiologist was doing an audiogram and said, ‘Hey, maybe this isn’t working. Have you ever considered doing Osia implants?’” shares Aiden. “In essence, it was a shot to hear better, so I leapt on it.”
Being his first surgery, Aiden recalls the initial apprehension he felt beforehand, saying, “I’m not going to lie, I was scared out of my mind.” However, he found the procedure to be less daunting than expected. “The surgery itself, honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,” says Aiden. “The pain subsided really quickly. My neck and muscles were sore, but, after a little bit, I got settled in.” The real challenge came afterward, as he adjusted to a new world of sound. “This was my first time hearing direction of any kind,” Aiden shares. Before the implants, Aiden describes life with regular hearing aids was like “hearing through headphones.” Sound was relayed but lacked depth and direction.
The Osia implants opened a new dimension of sound for Aiden, allowing him to perceive ambient noises and feel sound in a way he never had before. “After the surgery, I remember asking the audiologist what that buzzing sound was, thinking something was wrong with the device. She said it was the air conditioning; I didn’t know that made noise before,” says Aiden. “More of those things just kept popping up. I remember hearing the ambient footsteps in the garage on the way out of the hospital, I heard the crisp echo that you get from your feet touching pavement, things I couldn’t hear with my hearing aids before.”
A few months later, Aiden underwent a second surgery for the implant on the opposite side. “I was much less afraid for the second surgery,” says Aiden. “I waited for it eagerly, ready to see how different it was and excited to relive the moment hearing everything all at once all over again.”
The activation of both implants has made a huge impact in Aiden’s life. “It didn’t occur to me just how much I had missed before this surgery,” he says. “When I first heard the sound of rain, the light pitter patter against the window, and then went outside to hear it against the pavement on the concrete. There’s nothing like it. There is absolutely nothing in the world like hearing rain for the first time.”
The care Aiden received at Nemours Children’s was instrumental in his journey. He praises Dr. Pritchett and the audiology team, saying “Dr. Pritchett and the audiology team at Nemours are spectacular. I could not do any of this without them, truly. It’s more than just the physical care and the medical degree, but just having them be there for me, having their support. Knowing that there was somebody there who knew more than you did and still was with you through the process and could trust that they were going to do the best that they could because they really cared.” Aiden also commends Nemours for creating a comforting environment, sharing “They did a splendid job of making sure it didn’t feel sterile but instead felt as comforting and familial as a hospital room can be.”
His hearing transformation has been particularly impactful to his passion for singing and musical theater. “Learning music again after the implants was very strange,” shares Aiden. “Being on stage and being able to really feel the sound around you and the echo of the auditorium adds an entire new level to it. Yes, it was difficult at first, trying to relearn how to sing and how to hear again. It was absolutely freeing. It allowed me to enjoy music from an entirely different perspective, being able to feel it. I’ve been singing since I was 7 years old, and nothing has ever left so profound as being able to hear that.”
Aiden also notes that his vocal range and clarity have improved significantly since receiving the implants. “I’m not sure how to explain it but the surgery somehow let me sing higher and extended my range,” says Aiden. “I’m able to hit notes that I have not sang for years. Somehow, I was able to sing higher and lower with more clarity. And I’ve been able to speak with more clarity too. Since the surgery, I haven’t had to worry as much about if what I’m saying is being understood. You’re able to hear yourself better.”
Aiden’s advice to others considering Osia implants is invaluable. He emphasizes to get the implant activated on your stronger ear first. “You’re better hearing ear is always going to be the one that handles it better,” says Aiden. “In retrospect, had I known, I absolutely would have had the reverse done first.” Aiden also reminds patients that you can’t prepare yourself for the new sounds you’ll experience after surgery. “Trying to prepare for this new kind of sound is futile. You’re never going to be prepared until you feel it, and there is nothing like feeling it. Walking out of the room is going to feel like a wave hitting you, but that will all improve with time. As the mind starts to ease into the sound, the sound becomes less frightening.” Aiden’s experience with bone anchored implants has been life changing. “After having the implants, I started to realize that the feeling of sound all around is just part of the world,” he shares. “Not necessarily good or bad, but the feeling of sound is a part of the world that I now get to live in and experience. It’s as if there is now a third dimension to where before there were only two. I would not trade that for anything in the world.”
