Hearts for Hearing

Hearts for Hearing has been in our lives for almost two full years now.  They recently redesigned their logo and website and are sharing their mission of Hope! They have dedicated a place on their new site to "Stories of Hope".  Giving parents an opportunity to share their own personal story and experiences at Hearts for Hearing. 

http://www.heartsforhearing.org/

I was excited to take this opportunity to reflect on just how much this organization, and the amazing people that work there, have done for our family.  On Tuesday at therapy, we donated Tessa's tiny pink hearing aids   back to Hearts.  It was a little emotional.  Those hearing aids symbolize so many things for us: the 'original hope' that we gained in the very beginning of our journey with Tessa, our first experience down this path of many-accessories for her, the new and necessary idea of taking a day at a time, and marveling at God's provisions every moment along the way.  Come to find out, there was a baby that was just diagnosed that afternoon that was going to be able to use Tessa's loaner aids.  And not only that, but any time a child's aids are down or having to be worked on, loaners allow Hearts the ability to make sure their lives aren't disrupted during that time.

We are thrilled to look back and see how far we've come.  It is very exciting to see the ways that you can make, what could feel like a devastating time in your lives, an opportunity to pay it forward with a grateful heart from having walked that path before.    

http://dev.heartsforhearing.org/stories/

Our Story:

Hearts for Hearing is a place of hope, and for our family, that hope has created many joyful celebrations!

Tessa was born on April 8, 2010 at 38 weeks weighing just 4 lbs 15 oz.  We were told she was healthy, just small, and that everything appeared normal.  On July 30, 2010, at just 3 ½ months old, Tessa was hospitalized and a series of events lead us to learn of her Congenital CMV diagnosis.  I didn’t know I had CMV while I was pregnant with Tessa, but the virus ended up attacking her tiny little body before she was even born.  During our hospital stay, many discoveries were made: Tessa had severe brain damage on her cerebral cortex and some on her visual cortex which had resulted in Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy (CP) and Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). We were also told the virus had potentially caused damage to her eyes and ears, as well.  On August 3^rd Tessa failed a follow-up hearing screening (she had passed her newborn one), and on August 10^th, we had her very first appointment at Hearts for Hearing to determine a further diagnosis of bilateral, profound, sensorineural hearing loss.

 

In a matter of 2 weeks, our lives had changed in ways we could have never imagined.  We knew the Lord had a very special plan for our daughter and the days to come would require our faith in His immeasurable grace and provision of strength.  If there is anything we have learned; it’s that this journey was never intended to be traveled alone.  I didn’t realize that, in those initial days of diagnosis, but Hearts for Hearing did…and they began their journey with us.  It takes an incredible level of compassion and understanding to make a transition like this, so seamless.  And it takes a very special group of people to join in these intensely fragile journeys.  The umbrella of this kind of organization is hope…and it is carried out in the most beautiful way.  Hearts for Hearing was such a soft place to fall, and I am so grateful they were the first ones to rally around us after our hospital stay.  They have definitely helped define our journey of hope. 

By August 17^th, just 14 days after Tessa’s failed hearing test, she received the cutest little pair of pink hearing aids.  We have been participating in Auditory Verbal therapy since August of 2010; Tessa received her 1^st cochlear implant on the right side in June of 2011, and she received her second CI in June of 2012.  There has been so much joy on this path of hope and hearing.

 

We believe the Lord is sovereign in our lives and works all things together for good.  Hearts for Hearing has been an answer to our prayers for a time in our lives when we barely even knew what to pray.  “Thank you” would never be enough to express the way we feel in our hearts towards this incredible organization, but I know the amazing changes in Tessa’s life are evidence of the gift they have given to our family.  In almost 2 years, we have celebrated more than we could have ever imagined and our sweetest of celebrations have been within the walls and among the staff of Hearts for Hearing.  

The BynumFour

Darin, Whitney, Parker & Tessa Bynum
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Too fun!
I also found a picture of Tessa from last September when they did a little photo shoot of some of the kids attend Hearts for Hearing:
http://dev.heartsforhearing.org/audiology/diagnostic/fm-fitting/

~Whitney