According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are about 70 million deaf people across the globe. Joanne Milne is one of those millions of people who was born deaf and never thought she would know what it is like to hear. A hope she never even came true earlier this month. Milne’s story is inspiration to many people who want to know what it is like to hear one day.
Milne’s Story
Joanne Milne is 39 years old. She was born with Usher Syndrome, a disease that renders people both deaf and blind. Milne never believed that she would ever know what it was like to hear. She didn’t mind being deaf at first. It was simply part of who she was. However, she started to become extremely depressed when her eyesight began to deteriorate. For the first time in her life, she yearned for the opportunity to hear.
She surprised when her doctor told her that she may benefit from cochlear implant surgery. The surgery was a success and she was able to hear for the first time. A video of her went viral last week when she was able to hear for the first time. She started crying when she realized what is was like to hear for the first time. Milne said that she is glad to be able to hear now.
Other People Can Benefit As Well
Usher Syndrome is one of the most devastating diseases that causes hearing loss, because it also cause retinal degeneration as well. Many people are born immediately blind, but others start to lose their eyesight later in life as Milne did. The disease affects about 3 to 6% of deaf people around the world. It is also responsible for about 50% of the cases of people who are born both deaf and blind.
Milne’s story will also be encouraging for these people as well. If the surgery is successful then they will have the opportunity to hear for the first time.
People without Usher Syndrome can also benefit from future cochlear implants too. Some people may realize that receive a quick and easy hearing evaluation may find that they are starting to show signs of going deaf. These people may want to consider a cochlear implant in the future if they ever lose their hearing.
Anybody that is deaf or beginning to lose their hearing may want to look into cochlear implants. Their doctor may find that they are a good option to consider.
