TYSON’S STORY BONE CONDUCTION HEARING THERAPY
In middle school Tyson became the sixth person in Canada to receive a Medtronic bone conduction hearing aid.
TYSON’S STORY, IN HIS WORDS
My name is Tyson D’Hondt and I live inKamloops, British Columbia, Canada where I attend middle school. I was born with a ”little” ear that did not form properly and I have no ear canal opening. The little bones inside my ear were also fused together when I was born.
My mom and dad say I had a lot of behavioral issues when I was younger due to my hearing loss. I became over-stimulated very fast in noisy situations.
When I was two and a half, I was fitted with a Baha® softband. I hated it. I had to wear it until I was seven, and then we tried it on a hard band. I hated having people stare at me. I would only wear it at school because I “had” to. In March of 2012, we travelled to BC Children’s Hospital to arrange for a Baha® abutment surgery.
While there, we were presented with the option of having this brand new (to Canada) Sophono™ Alpha 2 MPO surgery. (The Sophono Alpha series was a previous generation to the current Alpha 2 MPO ePlus™ system. After doing lots of research my parents decided Sophono was the best choice for me. I was very excited to have this done. No more headbands, no screw!
After doing lots of research my parents decided Sophono was the best choice for me. I was very excited to have this done. No more headbands, no screw!
On April 24, 2013, I had my hearing implant surgery done. I wasn’t nervous at all. My mom and dad were. I felt like it was a fast surgery even though Mom said it was about 2 hours. My favorite part was the orange Popsicles afterwards! We went back to our hotel and I slept for the rest of the day. I felt like my old self within 2 days. I was the 6th person in Canada to receive the implant.
My friends at school were all excited to see me and are happy for me. I’m looking forward to wearing my bone conduction hearing aid all the time now and not being looked at because a boy has a headband on.
—Tyson D’Hondt of Kamloops, British Columbia (2013)
CLAIRE’S STORY
Claire’s bone conduction hearing aid allows her to excel in school and connect with her sisters.
READ CLAIRE’S STORYInformation on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.