Ivan Swanson

Northern Voices is an exceptional school for families that choose spoken language for their children with hearing loss. It is also a great school for typical hearing kids like my son Ivan. People often ask why we chose Northern Voices. I usually say, “Why not? It’s a great school.”  Then they ask, “Does Ivan like sign language” and I say, “It’s an oral school so all the kids speak and listen.”  At this point, their faces scrunch up and they look puzzled as they revaluate their ideas about hearing loss. These interactions have made me realize that many people have no idea what cochlear implants are. They don’t realize that those devises that “magically” attach to the back of little heads, along with a lot of hard work, allow Ivan’s friends to speak and listen at the same level as their typical hearing peers. To be 100% honest though I am not sure if Ivan understands how amazing cochlear implants are; to him cochlear implants are an accessory that makes you a little cooler – especially the ones that light up.  Thank you in advance for donating to this wonderful organization.