Words of advice for kids or their parents as they begin their journey into the world of cochlear implants . . . Encourage your kids to believe in their dreams and never let anything stop them of who they are. Entering the world can be hard but at the end, you will be changing people’s lives around since you are unique from others. Plus, always smile and have a positive attitude.
-Kyle, age 18
Kyle and his twin brother both have hearing loss, though Kyle uses cochlear implants, while his brother wears hearing aids due to only having a mild loss. They were born before Universal Newborn Hearing Screening was first implemented as a routine test for newborns. Kyle’s hearing loss was first suspected when he was a young toddler when his parents noticed that while Kyle’s brother cried when he heard motorcycles, Kyle was smiling as if he didn’t mind the loud noise coming from the bikers. He received his first cochlear implant when he was 14-months old and decided to get a second implant when he was 11-years old.
Kyle is a graduate of the Davidson Early College High School program where he worked to earn his high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree concurrently. Hearing loss has never held Kyle back from participating in any activities that interest him. He’s been involved in clubs such as Drama and Yearbook, Student Government Association, and TEAM+S. He played on a travel baseball team throughout middle and high school.
Today Kyle attends North Carolina State University where he will study Engineering. He is currently part of the Leadership Village at NCSU.