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The October day that the helicopter passed overhead was when Kara had her auditory brainstem implant (ABI) activated. Kara, 3, was born deaf with no cochlea (part of the inner ear with nerves that produce the ability to hear) or auditory (hearing) nerves on either side of her head. Just three months earlier, in July 2014, a team of neurosurgeons and otolaryngologists from MGHfC and the ;Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) put the ABI in Karas brain, granting her the gift of hearing.
“卡拉不符合人工耳蜗植入,因为她没有在她的头两侧耳蜗或听觉神经,”Kindal说,俄勒冈城,俄勒冈州”唯一的选择,可以帮助她是ABI,但只有一个地方提供了当时在意大利的一家医院。”
After eight months of research and exploring all options, Kindal was referred to Daniel Lee, MD, director of the ;Pediatric Otology Center and the Wilson Auditory Brainstem Implant Program at MGHfC and MEEI.
“我叫李博士的办公室在星期三和他们碰巧有一个取消星期五,”Kindal说。“我预订了我们的航班,我们去了。就在几个月后,我们飞回了她的手术。”
ABI类似于人工耳蜗植入在外面,但原理不同,在里面,李说。在内部,一个导线被植入大脑,将信号发送到听觉或听觉,大脑的一部分。它基本上是神经的工作,Kara一出生就没有。”
在家里,Kara正在学习做声音和物体和人的关系。“我记得有一天我打开垃圾处理,不重视它,和Kara跑进厨房,”Kindal说。“她开始疯狂地触摸一切,弄清楚这声音是从哪里来的。当她碰到台面和感到震动的垃圾处置,她微笑着,平静地走出房间。她能够使该对象之间的连接和它所发出的声音。”
自从她ABI激活,Kara就像在增长方面的一个典型的3岁语言发展和学习。“我对她说当她ABI被激活,'第一件事;Kara你好,我爱你。她对我笑了笑,它是如此感人的和压倒性的,”Kindal说。“现在她在幼儿园每周两次,他们用美国手语和口语与她在一起的。她取得了很大的进步。这些都没有她的医疗团队在mghfc可能遇到。”
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