Axel's Northern Voices Walk for the Talk

We are so lucky to have a school like Northern Voices available for Axel to attend. Axel just completed his first year and it is AMAZING what this school has been able to do for him. Every day Axel is able to partake in 1:1 speech language therapy for an hour with INCREDIBLE staff. They are one of the main reasons he is doing so well on his hearing journey. They help to provide him with the tools to successfully use his cochlear implants and I honestly have no idea where we would be today if it wasn't for the love, support and education that he receives daily  from the staff here.

When Axel was born he failed his newborn hearing screening, which we thought was pretty normal. We assumed that he had fluid in his ears like our first son and made our follow up appointment with an audiologist for a few weeks later to get the "all clear". I was not prepared in anyway for the news that we received that day. When the audiologist told us that our son was Deaf, I felt like the wind was knocked out of me. Pain and worry raced through my body as I vaguely heard her refer us for an ABR (a term I had no idea about) and tried to comfort me and help me to understand that everything was going to be OK. I left her office thinking that she had made a mistake that there was no way my son was Deaf; we had no history of hearing loss on either side. I was convinced that she was wrong and went to his ABR appointment with that mindset. 

At his ABR we were told that Axel had mild/moderate hearing loss and that he would need to be aided in order to be able to hear the world around him. I was in utter disbelief. So many thoughts were racing through my mind about his future, our future and I didn't quite know what to do. 

Axel received his hearing aids when he was around 3 months old; however after some additional testing we discovered Axel had Pendred Syndrome and it was certain that eventually his hearing loss would drop to profound and would become Deaf.  It was just the "when" that was unknown. 

The day came sooner then I thought and at 13 months old it was determined that Axel's left hearing aid was no longer doing enough for him and that he could receive a cochlear implant if we so chose. 

After much deliberation and thought, we decided that it was the right move for our family and proceeded with his CI. Everything went well; he was activated and everyone cried happy tears. 

I needed to find a good place for Axel in regards to child care. I knew not just "anywhere" was going to be able to provide him with the kind of care and attention that he needed. I started to search around and then our ENT doctor asked us if we had heard of Northern Voices. I had not, but immediately started to research and review. 

We were invited to an event hosted at Northern Voices through the Hands and Voices organization and were able to learn more about the school, what they provided and watched some videos of other kids like Axel. One of the teachers was playing a video example of the 1:1 therapy that the children receive to help them learn to use their CI's; and I cried. Happy, relieved, hopeful tears for my son.  

I was so excited for Axel to be able to be around peers like him, engrossed in language and loved by his attentive educators. This is something that my son needed so badly; and we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to send him there.  We enrolled him immediately and have NEVER regretted the decision.

This school is able to offer kids with the most amazing gift in the world - speech and communication. I have witnessed my son and the  other kids at this school grow and develop in so many ways. 

I'm asking for you help to keep Northern Voices doors open by donating to this incredible resource for Axel and so many other friends and families. 

Where do donations go, you may be asking? Well, Northern Voices is a non-profit organization that relies on tuition, donations, and grants for funding.  We want to make sure that Northern Voices continues to give children their voice and need your help! Below is information on how your donation can help:

1. $50 -Program support for our students

2. $175 - Donate 1 Day of School

3. $300 - Donate 1 Month of Teletherapy

4. $500 - Donate 1 Week of School

5. $1,000 - Donate 1 Family Scholarship

Also, twenty-five percent of your donations specifically will go towards Axels' overall annual tuition! 

As always we appreciate your love and support for Axel, his school, and friends with hearing loss. Without our amazing support system we would not be where we are today. 

Love,

Chelsey, Bjorn & Axel