Watch as a deaf woman hears her voice for the first time
29 year-old who has been deaf since birth, experiences the result of having a hearing implant.
We can’t tell you much about the woman in this video other than what she says about herself on her YouTube page:
I was born deaf and 8 weeks ago I received a hearing implant. This is the video of them turning it on and me hearing myself for the first time :)
But I think once you’ve watched the video, you’ll agree that we don’t need to know anything else. Her emotional reaction to hearing herself cry, speak and then laugh for the first time in her life is so genuine and profoundly moving I think it won’t be long before this video becomes one of the web’s most watched.
It’s easy for us to get caught up in the never-ending cycle of the latest smartphones, tablets and other gadgets, many of which we often refer to as “magical.” But if you really want to see magical technology, look no further…
Update, Sunday Oct 2, 12:29 am
Judging from the comments, it seems that many folks have taken the headline (which was pulled from the woman’s own words) too literally. Just because she was deaf from birth, doesn’t mean she never heard a word anyone ever said to her. She apparently has used hearing aids most of her life. Likewise, just because she says she’s hearing her voice for the first time, doesn’t mean she’s never heard it *at all*, it could simply mean she’s never heard it with the assistance and extra clarity of her new implant. I’ve yet to find any credible evidence that this video is a hoax as some have suggested and can’t understand why anyone would want to create such a hoax (a fake reaction video to a hearing implant?). That said, if you think you have proof, please post below in the comments. – S.C.
[Source: BoingBoing]
This is awesome! Made me cry with happiness for her. Research money well spent I think. The joy of discovering all the sounds we take for granted; wind sighing in the trees, a lamb’s bleat, the tinkle of chimes, the roar of engines, so much to hear! Good luck and happy listening
This is absolutely a hoax. I did some research on line and if this woman was deaf since birth, there is no way that she could speak the way she does.
The following is taken from the Hospital for Children in Philadelphia regarding cochlear implants (CI).
The questions was: “My child is 10 years old and has been deaf since birth. Is it too late to get a CI?”
A. If your child has learned language, a CI may give him some extra sound awareness. This may help him hear some sounds and improve his speech and understanding. But he may not speak or understand speech as well as a child who was implanted earlier. He will have missed out on hearing speech when he was young. This is the most important time for language development. Some centers won’t implant children who are this old. If this happens, ask your CI center or audiologist to refer you to another center for a second opinion.
The type that the woman says she had implanted an “Esteem”by Envoy Medical is used mainly in those who have sensorienural hearing loss.
As the question above indicates, if a child is found to be deaf and it is deemed that a CI will assist them, it is done as early as possible, so that the child will learn to hear with the implant, the same as a child whose hearing is not affected learns to speak. Learning to speak takes time, and even if the individual has learned to sign or read lips, there still will be a different sound when they do learn to speak.
This woman should be ashamed of herself for doing this video.
You did “some” research, did you? ~clap, clap~ Maybe you should do a little more before posting your narrow-minded opinion on a subject of which you have zero training and/or comprehension.
If anyone should be ashamed, it is you, for your ignorance and callousness.
Could not have said that better myself Rotten….This is a truly amazing video..God Bless her
You have been duped like so many on the internet. Live with a hearing impaired child before you spout your bleeding heart garbage.
have you ever heard how a deaf person talks? if this is the first time she’s hearing, do you honestly think she understands what’s being said?
you know how to insult somebody `clap clap clap` maybe now you should do half the research Sam did and perhaps you’ll be slightly more enlightened.
You are the ignorant one. She said she was deaf since been born! Therefore, she has never heard and if you can hear, you learn like a child learns as they grow. The sounds a baby hears are foreign to them, it’s not until they have heard the same thing over and over again, do they learn to know a word. That’s how we all learned, whether it’s in English, or another language. If the woman in the video had some ability to hear sounds, yes a CI would help her and if she even wore hearing aids as a youngster, the CI would help her, as she knows at this point what the “Word” sounds like. If you only understood English, and someone spoke in another language, who wouldn’t understand what they were saying until you studied that language. I had a friend who had to wear hearing aids since she was young and she got along with reading lips and the hearing aids, but all of this was learned over a period of many many years. Perhaps the whole story should be told – maybe she wasn’t completely deaf since birth – but if that’s the truth then say that. But someone completely deaf since birth couldn’t understand what is being said when heard the very first time. I do believe in miracles,but this is just too far fetched to believe.
To your comment about not being able to know the language if someone has been deaf since they were born. You are wrong. A close friend of mine had a son who was completely deaf since birth and got a hearing aid, kind of like the one that this woman got, and was able to understand what people were telling him, whether he was still reading lips or something else, he understood. He was also able to speak the language.
I’m not saying that this video is real or that it is fake, I’m just helping you to get your facts straight.
Hi Sam,
Let’s be clear on this subject. Sarah had the help of powerful BTE type hearing aids for most of her life along with intense therapy to correct her speech. She was not completely deaf, but close to it. The clinical definition of deafness has “varying degrees” so technically she was deaf. Not everything is just black and white, right or wrong. Without hearing aids she could not hear period. That is considered deaf by clinical standards. CI’s do not allow one to hear music and there are varying outcomes for those implanted with CI’s, as not all do as good as some of the more published articles show. It is a case by case outcome for each individual. I just talked with Sarah earlier this week and you would never know she had these implants, it is most remarkable. She just had the other ear done a few months back. The Envoy Esteem implant is a true revolution in hearing and there is nothing else like on the market. So if you are completely deaf you are right, but if you are deaf by clinical definition you are wrong. I work for Envoy Medical and have been in hearing research for over 30 years. It’s a great job helping people hear. Be happy for her and try to be not so judgemental in your approach to life. All the best to you.
Rotten,
All you did was insult the other person, you did not disprove his research. Can you explain without personal insults why this persons research is bad and meaningless?
Insults don’t make for good arguments.
Please Sam stop this. It’s not a hoax and the so called info you gave to try and back up your hoax theory is so incorrect. Unless you know someone that is deaf. Then you have no right to be saying this is a hoax. If anyone should be ashamed it should be you. I have a sister whom is deaf. She is 40 now. I don’t consider myself know it all on the subject but I know enough. As for the 10 year old child you mentioned that could not receive the implant. Well that’s because his hearing was so severe that it would not have helped him. The surgery would have been a waste of time. Please do more research. Also if you google “woman hears her voice for first time hoax” You’d be amazed as to what you will find. I suggest you go and take a look. Have a great day.
so your deaf sister speaks fluently even though she hasn’t heard a sound in 40 years… BS
You are a fool. Did I say she hadn’t heard a sound. She was born deaf, with a hearing aid she could hear. Due to this she could also learn to speak. Speak just like you and I. Talk about ignorance. Educate yourself before you go on a rant there GrandPa. Also learn to read that way you’ll understand better what people are trying to say, and you won’t come across as being so ignorant. Oh sorry you are.
I would like to also add. That over the years my sisters hearing has gotten worse. She is almost 100% deaf. I’ve visiting with my sister at the moment, and she’s having a good laugh at you GranPa, and some of the other comments on this site. Her very words were “Talk about ignorant people”. Oh yes she said it, she didn’t sign it. Take care there GranPa, and remember to take a course in regards to “The Deaf” it’ll give you a better understanding on what this video was all about.
They only give implants to profoundly deaf children who have which is a level below severe. We have done our research because we live it daily through all the surgeries and speech therapies. Because it is on the internet does not make it true.You do you research before you through out empty accolades.
You said it yourself. Your sister is deaf and is now 40. Deaf means not hearing at all. Hearing loss means having your hearing lessens, so that it is difficult to hear. If born deaf, there is no way she could understand unless, she had hearing aids early on in life, when language is learned. I have a friend who was born with a hearing defect – yes, she wore hearing aids as a child and having that opportunity learned to understand words just like a child learns. I’m not implying that with CI implants a person who has had some hearing loss will hear again. But this woman said she could never hear. And as for the child that they couldn’t do implants on, it was because, he had never heard before and he physically didn’t have the necessary parts to make a CI work. If children receive a CI implant early in life, they have the possibility of “learning” to speak, just like a normal chlld learns to speak. I would just like people to say that she perhaps only had hearing loss throughout her life, and that the CI gave her the ability to once more hear. But she said she was “deaf since birth” – means she never heard in the first place and as a result, would not “understand” what was being said, as she would never have heard the sound the words would make. You have a great day as well.
Hey Sam, for what it’s worth, every definition of the word “deaf” that I’ve found both in dictionary references as well as on websites that are part of the dead community, all include “total or partial hearing loss.” So the word does not mean “not hearing at all” as you suggest. I think it’s this narrow definition of deafness that has so many commenters such as yourself calling “hoax.” If you genuinely think that only people who can’t hear a single thing are “deaf,” then naturally you would think the woman is pulling one over on us. But that’s clearly a vast oversimplification. She considers herself deaf. Who are we to argue?
You can’t be certain this is a hoax, my daughter was born with hearing loss, being put through a school which found it to be more important to have speech therapy rather than to learn sign language gave her vocal speech. When people approach her, they don’t believe she has hearing loss, she also is underway getting medical exams and applying to get the cochlea implant. I’m happy for the ones who have successfully had the surgery and pray my daughters goes well.
There is a difference between “hearing Loss” and being born “deaf”. If you have hearing loss you can learn to hear and speak just like everyone else, but if you were born deaf, then the CI implants need to be done as soon as possible, so that the child learns how to speak, just like a child who is born with the ability to hear. The entire point is that this woman said that “she was born deaf” not that she was born with limited ability to hear. If she was born with some hearing or little hearing and had hearing aids, yes she would be able to hear with the CI implants – but if born deaf with no hearing aids or implants, there is no way she would understand what the woman was saying in the video. I am thankful for being able to hear, as I do have a friend who has hearing aids in both ears but I don’t see her as being any different than anyone else. Being deaf would be awful, just as not being able to see and I have friends who are blind both with seeing eye dogs, but both are normal to me. I hope and pray that your daughter’s surgery goes well, and that with the help of all those that helped with her speech therapy once the implant is done that life will be wonderful for her.
why can’t u just leave it alone? u have no idea what this womans background is… maybe she doesnt have complete hearing loss. I’d like to know who made u the expert, since you obviously took about 2 minutes on google to come up with your side of this ridiculous argument. Why is it that our world is plagued with people like you who cannot just let things be? Who cares which it really is.. completely deaf or simply hearing impaired… what difference does it really make to you? Can’t you just be happy for how excited she is.. and how far we’ve all come to have something like this invented that can be used to help so many people???!! You need to lay off the google, and get a life!
You need to get a life.
I’am Hard of hearing and I Think You’re right I Honestly think she’s Fakeing.
It is heart wrenching to read the comments from various
people. I truly hope your daughter’s implant is successful. Good luck!!
I agree that if she was born deaf, that she would not be able to speak as clearly as she did. My husband was born deaf (or diagnosed late at 2 yrs old) and he had to go enormous amounts of speech therapy to teach him how to speak “normally”.
your mom is a hoax. her twat is actually much bigger, wider, and smellier tan advertised.
ah, maybe it is a hoax. no way a deaf chick speaks so clearly.
we should be proud of her and not frown on her for wanting to show the world her highest achevments
This is a total scam. No one can speak like that after hearing for the first time. My son has been implanted for years and still can’t hear and speak like her. More internet crap playing on cheap emotions. Do your homework before your throw around congratulations. There are real deaf people struggling for acceptance and this is an affrant to all of them. She should be ashamed!!
With massive advances in speech therapy over the past couple of decades some people who are born deaf can speak pretty well, though there is always a strange flat tone and they often have great difficult in modulating their volume. They may inadvertently shout or may whisper out of fear of shouting or embarrassment at their speech abilities. Children and younger people who have benefited from improved speech therapy generally have much clearer speech than older deaf people whose attempts at speech are likely to be unintelligible.
I have a cousin who was born hearing impaired. This does not mean that you can’t hear at all necessarily. Simply that your amount & method of hearing is not like ours. She had an inner ear on only one side but no ear canal. There was sound that could be transmitted to her via vibration; she learned to speak but had never heard her voice from outside her body till she had a cochlear implant. Now she was able to hear the sounds from outside the confines of her head & the radiated vibrations that her voice made. Big difference! She was able to complete college & is in a hospital administration position, trying to make a difference in the world.
By the way, her mother was the one who fought to have a limited number of implants covered by OHIP each year. A gift to the people that now get them that would be beyond our understanding. Having one for a person with severe impairment is life altering!
I totally agree i dont understand how she can talk if she has been deaf since 8 weeks. makes no since at all!
thank you for doing some research Sam, I must agree with you. This result must be 100% false…. The CI is only meant to assist hearing, there is LOOTS of speech therapy and training that goes into being able to understand and re-produce sounds ,e.g., a human voice. This video is VERY disappointing… and extremely miss leading. There is just to much that needs to be said against this video, it is unfortunate that the majority of people are not like you and will likely not do the research to correctly understand what a CI is, or how it affects not only the patient but those around the patient, especially children and their families.
so you’d do all this just to prove it was a hoax? real or not to you its a miracle. btw researching online doesnt prove much as evidence.
I agree.If this woman has never heard in her life then how can she tell what words are the lady is speaking, I can’t see her doing sign language. It would be like a hearing person listening to someone speaking another language
your an inconsiderate aZZ…looks genuine to me!
a hoax on something like this? …im sure she has more important things to do…
wow …humanity can be so cruel…
JERK!
I am deaft and have to wear hearing aid…. that was my first impression, when she talk… so well how can that be.
When you do not know how word are prononce or said..how does or did lear them ” being death since birth “.
I say not possible………. they just want to see how many hit they get.
This woman should be ashamed of herself for doing this video.
I grew up with a sister who was severely hearing impared and she sounded nothing like this woman – her speech in this video was as clear as mine. As well, anyone who I have spoken with, with any severe hearing impairment speaks with a more gutteral tone – no where close to the clarity this woman presents. My vote HOAX
Why wouldn’t she be able to speak clearly? My son is 3 years old, has been deaf from birth and has better speech than most children his age. Everyone is surprised how clear and “normal” his speech is. People like you are mean spirited and cruel. Why don’t you keep your opinions to yourself if you can’t be happy for someone. You should be the one who’s ashamed.
To those of small minds and mean attitudes. It took fifteen years to develop this product. The video is very real. There are varying levels of deafness for the uneducated people out there who know it all. A CI cost at least $60,000 not to mention follow up therapy. The Esteem costs $30,000. The Esteem delivers natural sound and a CI delivers electronic stimulation to nerve endings and it does not sound natural in any way. Any malcontents who think this is fake are just plain lacking in common sense, and they are the ones who should be ashamed at their idiocy. This family could barely afford this $30,000 implant so forget your CI and all the other nonsense you babble. Esteem is not available for children yet.
You are obviously misinformed, I was born profoundly deaf and I can speak very well, why ? cuz I had speech therapy so she probably had the same, and you are in no position to judge, no one would fake something like that, you can tell she’s genuinely touched by the events that have happened and to bash her is despicable, disrespectful and uncaring.
I am so happy for her, I was selected a candidate for CI, but for medical reasons I was turned down. I’ve made peace with that, but this woman has every right to be overjoyed with happy tears, if you don’t like it, it’s YOUR problem.
I have to agree…I grew up with a brother and sister who were deaf since birth. There is no way they have ever spoken as clearly, as this girl does in the video.
Before you toss this aside as a hoax, read this article:
http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon971128/skinnyon.html
i want to say that you are wrong cause my brother inlaw as a niece that got the implant when she was an adult and she can hear and speak just fine
What a great video…. “laughter sounds loud” as it should! A unique opportunity to glimpse a very special moment in someone’s life. I would love to see her reaction to the awesome sound of powerful ocean waves crashing against the shore, or her first musical, or…. the list goes on. All the best!!
I will like more info, my brother is deaf no from birth.
Check her you tube account. Click on the underlined words that says “her you tube page” just below the picture. You might be able to correspond with her thru that account.
What the woman just received is a cochlear implant. It’s made up of two parts – the internal piece is easiest described as a receiver that is embedded in the skull behind the ear. There are a number of electrodes attached to it that are fed down into the inner ear in the cochlea. The external piece is very similar to an over-the-ear hearing aid with a coil attached. In the centre of the coil is a magnet that is used to connect the two pieces. It truly is amazing! I received my own “bionic” ear about 20 years ago and I’m still amazed at the sounds around me. Your brother should contact the audiology department at your nearest hospital and they can refer you to the nearest hospital that performs this type of surgery. There are a number of tests I had to go through to ensure I was a suitable candidate for this surgery. I definitely recommend you look into it. Good luck.
Diane, this woman received a middle ear implant there is no external head piece it is all internal and the remote control is what adjusts and turns the unit off and on. That is what was held up to her head. The implant uses what is called cochlear reserve and it gives a full natural sound by virating the stapes bone which drives the vibrations inside the cochlea. It does not use electrical stimulation of the nerves that a CI does. It also senses the vibration of the ear drum and uses this instead of a microphone. The patient hears naturally jast as you or I hear and music and tonal noise is heard unlike CIs which do poorly for music.
Hi to Peter
Has anyone who has posted comments about this issue even bothered to read, re-read and understand what Peter has been writing? If you all stop talking to hear yourself talk and really read the information that Peter has provided, you will understand the functional differences between a cochlear implant and an Esteem. You will also understand that whether on not this young woman was born deaf really doesn’t matter because the system she was been given has allowed her to HEAR herself. That is the important message here, not only for her but for all the parents who have posted on this issue about their children who may be able to actually HEAR. It doesn’t matter if someone is born totally deaf or born with a partial hearing loss or wore hearing aids to improve the little hearing with which they were born. Why is everyone so focused on trying to prove this is a hoax? Why not just be thankful that human beings can develop a way for other human beings to hear.
Depends where you are from, I can give you info.
CJ…all those momments are just pure magic to see. My daughter had a implant 2 years ago. She come home that night after having it turned on and went threw everthing in the house knocking and taping it to see what their sounds were. The first time she went to the washroom and flushed the toilet it scared her and she came running out crying and yelling that the toilt is broken. Watching her hear a bird for the first time.. all those firsts are truly magicial and now i get to go threw it again in a couple weeks with my son. It is amzing the things you take for granted and watching someone else hear,see,feel, and live new things is somehting you could never explain.
Mary you brother can get in touch with this system and talk about it by going threw any autoigylist reffered from your doctor. good luck all !
Congratulations. Thanks for sharing. I am crying too. Sharing and being and be able to communicate is what is all about. God bless. You are lovely. Enjoy every minute of your future. (just a lady who was privileged to see your very special moment).
I cried happy tears
i am so happy for her
it must feel amazing to finally hear
after all that time
god bless her
I lost my hearing due to meningitis two and a half years ago. I had exactly the same response when my implant was activated. To those that hear never take it for granted. God bless, all the best.
hahahahha I was born which I got meningitis when I was 6 months old and become deaf until now I am still proud to be deaf so all of you are deaf who try to use cochlear implants are fool big reason all doctors want bonus $$$$ and also I worked with some deaf kids who were former cochlear implants so most make them damage brian and worst headaches and worst nightmare and despression big reason all doctor who is responbile to install chochlear implants that all doctors must inform them to use American Sign Language and most of general ASL (American Sign Language) are freedom and natural because all Doctor who invent cochlear implants who are not deaf !!!! think about it!!!!
I know misery loves company buddy but you must be a real loser to try and rain on this girl’s parade like that. Obviously it is what she wanted, if it’s not what you want than that’s fine, but don’t be spreading your misery. And learn some grammar why don’t you instead of writing in big long practically incoherent run-on sentences.
Couldnt have said that better myself John.Geez,some people just love to yang about anything that comes to thier minds.Im really happy for that girl,i can relate to it .I lost my hearing gradually in life and had an implant installed in 04.I still use a hearing aid in my right ear but most of the time i just depend on the implant now.Ive never looked back since.Was funny when i first got fitted and they turned it on,everybodys voice sounded like Peter Framptons voice box on the song”do you feel like we do”lol.
Yes but you had hearing and speech before. No way anyone could speak and hear like that after being deaf her whole life.
I know someone who has had this implant done and they can have a full conversation with us. He speaks very well with a slight speech impediment, which if you listen closely, this girl does!! I can not stand people who just want to say negative things about something so wonderful!
It may be hard for some of us hearing people to believe, but I have a deaf friend and I know that a lot of deaf people love their deaf culture and do not in any way consider themselves with a disability that needs to be ‘fixed’. They are happy the way that they are. It is their choice. Why criticize them…for we have never walked in their shoes.
Couldn’t agree more John, well said. Some people on here are definitely illiterate.
How dare you critique the grammar of a profoundly deaf person! Obviously you have had no experience with the deaf community. A profoundly deaf individual, such as my brother Michael Loucks, has never heard the English language – or any other language for that matter – and therefore writes in a very similar fashion to someone where English is a second language. He may not use the grammar you want but he is a brilliant man who attended University and has assisted many deaf and hearing impaired individuals with communication and life skills so they can live full and independent lives. I can guarantee you he is not miserable and accepts deafness as part of his being. He considers himself complete and has no desire to undergo any type of surgery to become what someone else considers “normal”. The woman in this video was not profoundly deaf and obviously had much residual hearing as is evident from the tone and quality of her speaking voice.
Michael,
We can tell from your sentence structure that you were not born deaf, you just don’t have a brain. If I were you I would get myself looked at before you do some serious damage to yourself.
I don’t think you know any deaf people,(same for you above John). If a person is born deaf, and they have only ever communicated with ASL (American Sign Language) that is how they structure their sentences. The thought process is different as it is truly a ‘language’ and the order of words and phrasing of sentences can be different. This is also true of other spoken languages. This in no way has any bearing on intelligence or ‘brains’. With all due respect, YOU should educate yourselves. I have a close friend who is deaf and when she writes to me, her sentence structure is sometimes different than I would write it, but she is very smart.
agreed with you!
Good grief. Did the meningitis make you slow too?
Mike you need to get out of the brainwashed “Deaf society” thinking i have too often seen the same response like the one you just posted, Deaf became Hearing impairment when they found a way to fix the loss. Sorry can’t hold onto the crutch no more.
That is absolutely wonderful. I am so happy for her, I have been crying myself for about 10 minutes now. Just amazing!! Congratulations :)
I would love to see her reaction when she hears a baby cry for the first time. It is a true miracle and praise the Lord for the success she has had with the implant. I am thrilled for her.
To the “Miracle woman”,
Yes, I do agree with your dear friend, Doris.
It’s not only a “Pure Magic”. But, its with the help of Our GOD
With “Him”, there’s nothing impossible 2 “His Eyes”.
So, 4 “Him” doing miracles, it’s peanut.
With all this, miracles do happened, even 2day.
So, be Blessed, Protected n May GOD put “His Lovely hand”
on you, my dear friend.
By the way, don’t 4get, GOD really, really, really do love you.
After, you are “His daughter.
So, just enjoy your “New life” n enjoyed every second of it
N from my part, I’ll be praying 4 you 2 thanks GOD.
In the Name of Our Savior 4 ever, AMEN.
There is no GOD just like there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny… a fairy tale is a fairy tale, you can’t say one’s true and all the others aren’t, it just doesn’t make any sense. and trying to attribute this to God is just keeping up with the denial. This is SCIENCE, cut and dry. Don’t try and give your imaginary boogy-man in the sky credit for something that man and science has done. To quote Mark Twain, ‘Faith is believing something you know ain’t true.’
LOL…so true!
Bang on. Religion has denied and stomped on anything to do science for centuries. To the point of threat of death. Can you say, “heresy?”
But yet when a new discovery or invention is created to better man. It isn’t the human race or science who created it. It’s some big imaginary head in the sky.
Time to grow up and stop believing in fairy tales.
Idiot much? Yes I’m talking about you. :)
oh please. nuff said.
There’s no reason to post a comment like this. If someone believes in a higher power, let them. It has no effect to you whether they believe or not, so leave that hateful attitude in your naive little head. There’s nothing wrong with spirituality and there’s nothing wrong with science. For all we know, they coexist.
Okay, so this isn’t that I agree with Lucie’s comment, because I do agree that this was an invention of science. However, I have to take exception to your attempt at comparing God to Santa or the Easter Bunny. And my main issue with this is that the latter two were images created mainly as something fun for kids. They have no bearing on whether there may or may not be some sort of higher power. Everyone is obviously entitled to believe or not believe as they so choose, but I just thought I’d inform you that next time you decide to declare your feelings on that matter, you might want to pick a better analogy.
Ok then, how about the ‘celestial teapot’ analogy… do you know that one? If not, look it up… I have no problem with people having their own beliefs; you can believe what you want, I couldn’t care less. It’s so called ‘organized’ religion that I have a problem with… When people with the same beliefs decide they know so much about their God’s plan that they try and spread it to other people and the world. Religion is responsible for more pain, suffering and death throughout the history of mankind than all the wars there has ever been, combined. And don’t try and say that it’s other religions; Christianity is just as bad as Islam or anything else. Just look at the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem witch hunts, and Northern Ireland. Religion divides and segregates people, it does not unite. Good people do good things, bad people do bad things; for good people to do bad things, it takes religion. And it really peeves me off when people try to attribute science to God.
Okay, I understand now some of what you were getting at, because I have to agree that I don’t always like organized religion for particularly that reason. I’m entirely aware of the amount of pain that’s been caused by many religions – including Christianity – all “in the name of God”. It makes me kind of sick that people could do that thinking that it agrees with their faith, because pretty much all religions have the “do unto others as you would have done to you” as part of a core belief. The politics in churches annoys me, because there shouldn’t be any.
Anyways, thank you for clearing this up, because I was more so disgruntled with your take on the possibility of a higher power being likened to fictitious children’s characters. As long as your issue is with organized religion and not just someone having faith in general, then I understand both that, as well as your frustration with man-made science being attributed to God.
I feel really sad that you feel the need to bring you atheism into this true miracle of life. Whether it is through the Miracle of Science or the Miracle of God it truly is a wonderful gift to be given the ability to hear. Boogy man in the sky??? Hmmmmmm
Have to totally agree with you John. I’ve felt this way about religion for years (please note, there is a HUGE difference between religion, and just believing in a higher power, or a God.) Without religion, there’d be no wars, or very few at least. You said that religion is responsible for more pain, suffering, etc., than all the wars combined, and I disagree. Religion IS responsible for most of the wars waged in all of human history, and that is where the pain, suffering, cruelty and death you speak of comes from. What do you think fanatical Muslims are trying to do in today’s world? Think about it.
Hahahahahha, I officially love that quote.
Yes.
Too bad science did all the hard work. Didn’t know “god” got his doctorate in audiology and hearing sciences…
Idiot.
Idiot.
Oh so are you implying that god did get his doctorate in audiology and hearing sciences? no need to comment on your intelligence.
praise science and technology too…
That amazing stuff right!!, there just proves anything can happen
Crying is as important – if not more – than laughing – both of which I do very easily..
I have a dear friend who is deaf in one ear since birth & I would LOVE to know if there is anything available like this for her & where….
Thanks for sharing this – it made my year! ;^)
This is truly putting technology to good use. My hat’s off to everyone who made this possible.
Thank you so much for sharing this video. It also moved me to tears. I am hard of hearing and several months ago I was fitted for hearing aids for both of my ears. These hearing aids are for surround sound. When I went in for the fitting and sound for the hearing aids it was absolutely amazing how I was able to hear normally for first time since 1989 (loss some of hearing due to auto accident). To witness this lady hearing for the very first time in hear life was INCREDIBLE… her reaction to being able to here for first time was so enduring… enjoy the forthcoming experiences ahead of you! :)
Fake. Number one clue. People who are deaf, even if they learn to speak sound different. Hasn’t anyone seen Nell? Clue number two. How would she know what the woman said? “Can you hear me?” She might as well have said, “Your knickers are blazing.” as someone who hadn’t heard before would have no idea. Grow up people.
Hi Larry,
You put it somewhat abruptly, but I could not help but noticing the exact same thing. Sensorineural hearing impairment is always (as far as I know) associated with a noticeable change in pronunciation. I saw posted on a CBS blog that she had a hearing aid prior to the cochlear implant which may have improved her language. It would be great to know the real story here.
I as well am very skeptical. The majority of individuals who have never heard in their life, usually have a different sound tone when they speak. This individual does not. Listen to Marlee Matlin. People seem to believe everything that gets posted to the World Wide Web without doing any kind of research to ensure that what is posted is actually real.
In this case, if it is true, it’s a miracle, and I haven’t had an opportunity to research it yet, but I will.
If it is just a hoax – the individuals who appeared in the You Tube video should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.
People who are given an opportunity to hear through various means are truly blessed, and those that mock it – I hope you never lose your hearing.
Maybe the person who wrote the article has the facts wrong. Maybe this girl had hearing for part of her life and lost it as a child/teen/young adult due to illness or an accident, spent but got surgery to correct the problem. Then this video would seem true. I agree, I have a friend who was born deaf and while she can speak a bit, it is very laboured and sounds muffled. This girl speaks too clearly to have just discovered her voice.
I took a second look, this can’t be true if she hasn’t had the ability to hear from birth. I think it is possible for someone who had hearing at somepoint in life and then lost their ability to hear. Sounds would be frightening to a person who never heard. haven’t you seen a baby get frightening by new sounds, like “Woah, what was that??” kind of look…she would be like that I would think. I didn’t see the “blurb” that supposedly deaf girl wrote saying she has never heard a sound before. I am thinking this is a hoax or partial truth…she might have lost her hearing from illness before and just had surgery to repair it,but I don’t think she has never had the ability in her whole life to never hear. I would think this would make the news, no?
I agree, this is not what a person Deaf from birth sounds like and more importantly this is not at all what “sound” is like for a person who has been profoundly or severely Deaf from birth. Sounds have no “meaning” to a person who has had no context to put them in, even young children with cochlear implants have to be trained carefully to recognize and process sounds. This is definitely a hoax.
I really wish you could hear my son speak. He was born deaf, hears through a baha hearing aid. He has fantastic speech. I think people on here are abit ignorant of what deaf is. You make it all so black and white, it really isn’t.
I totally agree with you. I know someone who was deaf and got an implant put in her ear and she did speak but had troubles as for yrs she could not hear herself. This looks like a bogus video and I feel for those who think this is real. ITS NOT REAL PEOPLE…SHE MAYEB LACKS ATTENTION IN HER LIFE. Discusting to even do something like this for attention. There are alot of deaf people out there who could use this and get the public attention.
This is terribly insulting, demeaning and just plain ignorant. I know someone who is deaf since birth that is great at speaking and conversation. Self-taught even. He reads lips but when he speaks it is no different than anyone else. If they understand how to speak and know precisely what they are saying, it follows that they could very well understand what someone else verbally says.
As for the video: that is fantastic. I would love to have seen her walk outside and hear the noises of the city and such. Probably would be completely overwhelming.
Thats exactly what I was thinking. She should sound like Marlee Matlin, not speak in a clear voice. She would also not understand spoken words, having never heard voices before.
Larry deaf people can read lips. It is one of the many means they use so they can communicate with others. My sister is deaf. This girl is definately not faking this. I suggest you try communicating with a deaf person, rather than relying of a movie. Movies aren’t really a good source of info. A REAL DEAF PERSON IS.
Judy: re: “Deaf people can read lips”…true, but about 3/4 of the way through the video, the girl has her eyes shut, with her hands over them…the other woman says “Can you hear me?”, and the “deaf” girl nods…hmmm…wonder how she understood the words…???
Not saying this is a fake, but there are lots of questions.
Granny I was referring to my sister not the woman in the video. Reading lips was a way my sister learned to know what others were saying so she could communicate back to us. My sister was fortunate that she had a family that forced doctors to “LISTEN” to what we wanted and not what they said. They were all for “let her just learn sign language” My mother said “NO, she has a hearing aid and can speak some, she can talk” My sister did. Doctors don’t always know the best. Your question “How could the girl understand the words?” She just had an implant. She can hear now is the answer.
To Judy: What I meant was: If she had never heard the spoken word before, there’s no way she would understand what the technician was saying. (Imagine if you were hearing a different language for the first time, and not seeing the person…how on earth would you understand it? If you were looking at the person, you might be able to understand the facial expressions, gestures, etc.)
There have been so many questions about this, that the author of the article posted a clarification, stating that the woman had been using hearing aids since she was little. The headline was very misleading, as the woman, with the use of the aids, HAD been hearing for most of her life…it’s just that NOW she is using a different–and probably better–type of device.
Not fake! She did not say enough to determine how she spoke for one thing, another thing is that just because someone is determined to be deaf does NOT mean they have absolutely no hearing. I have great sensorineural hearing loss can speak okay with the help of hearing aids.
Many people are commenting on things without doing research, for instance go onto the Canadian Hearing Society webpage and see the definition of deaf, hearing impaired etc before commenting on what you THINK you know about this.
I speak from experience that until I lost my hearing and had to wear two hearing aids that I didn’t know much about this topic and thought like many of you but I was completely wrong and it is important to educate ourselves about this so we don’t make stupid comments based on wrong knowledge.
Thank you. My sister was diagnosed as being deaf at birth. Yet she could hear with the use of a hearing aid, which she got before the age of 1. My sister was “YES” born deaf, but could hear some with a hearing aid. The reason she was able to talk. The Canadian Hearing Society is an excellent site. Some people here really need to learn what “DEAF” really is before they pass judgement. I too am speaking from experience. Have a great day.
so inspering. i hope that many who are death will be able to get the same treatement. she is a good example of why people should do what she had done. GOOD LUCK!!!!
TODO ES POSIBLE EN LA VIDA ESTOY TAN CONTENTO QUE PUEDAS OIR!
That’s exactly what I thought…If you are born deaf there is no way you’d be able to speak that well…let alone deciphering what people are saying.
i dont understand how can she speak so well-deaf poeple have a certain odd way of talking-how come she taso normallylks
My little sister is deaf. This made me cry. Lora was born deaf she is 40 years old. It would be so amazing if she could get this and hear her daughter’s laughter for the first time.
I work with someone who is deaf. She can communicate with her coworkers if you look straight at her and speak loudly and slowly, so I think she has some ability to hear. But you can tell from her speech that she is deaf. The woman in the video sounds just like a hearing person. I think it would be eunliely that she would sound like that if she had been deaf from birth. Listen to Marlee Matlin in a show or movie. So I am skeptical about this video. I don’t think it can be genuine.
I am sorry you think that because I suffer from a slight hearing impairment and have learned to listen very intently and I definately could hear that her speech does resemble someone who suffers from hearing loss. We are uniquely individual and so our voices will also be uniquely individual. Not every deaf person will sound like a tv actor.
I’m sure there is a difference between a “slight hearing impairment” and being born deaf, as the young woman in question posted on her YouTube page. I would love to know the full story.
Didn’t see the video, but have read all the comments on here, so I get the gist of it. There is a HUGE difference between being hearing impaired and being born deaf. I am hearing impaired (50%), have been my whole life and wear hearing aids. My grandson was born deaf and received bilatteral cochlear implants at the age of 1. I have been very involved in his life and his journeys and experiences pertaining to his deafness and believe me it’s a whole different ball game than just being hearing impaired. I think that everyone is individual and what is true for one person is not for the next. He was TERRIFIED when his first implant was turned on. He is 5 now and although he has received extensive speech therapy he still has not learned to speak alot of language. Unfortunately, for him, for whatever reason, it has not been a success story in that sense. He is now for the first time attending deaf school and learing ASL (as will the rest of us). I wouldn’t necessarily say that we thought he needed to be “fixed” as was said by someone, but in our family myself and my grandson are the only ones who have a hearing disability. Therefore, it made sense for us to help him to hear if it was possible and why wouldn’t you give them that opportunity if it is available. Now he will have both because although so far he hasn’t been able to develop alot of speech, doesn’t mean he won’t at some point in his life.
Fran you are hard of hearing so you have heard the english language being spoken. This lady has been deaf since 8 weeks old. So you would like us to believe she remembers the english language from birth to 8 weeks? So then we could take a French hearing person and talk in english to them and they would totally know what we are saying. I now have 50% hearing loss but I do know what the spoken word sounds like but hearing loss has been over time and not since 8 weeks old.