MAX THE MAGNIFICENT!

Cochlear implants give our children the opportunity to express themselves and communicate effectively in mainstream society. I had never seen such a blow-me-away example as when Glen and Gabrielle posted Max's video on the Ci Circle. When I asked Glen, Max's dad, for permission to post the remarkable video of his son speaking, he requested that I post it in link form as opposed to directly blogging the youtube video. Max's video is on the League for the Hard of Hearing homepage along with a letter from his parents:

Dear Friends of the League,
Four years ago, at the age of fourteen months, our son Max was diagnosed as profoundly deaf. We were devastated when we realized that Max had never heard us sing him a lullaby or even tell him we loved him. We didn’t know if he would ever be able to talk or go to school—we were afraid what the future would bring.
Thankfully, we found the League for the Hard of Hearing, and our world took a
dramatic turn for the better. From the minute we walked in the door at the League, we
knew we were in the right place. The League offered the emotional support we so desperately needed as well as the critical information to guide Max’s future. Max received hearing aids and began speech therapy at the League and received a cochlear implant shortly thereafter.
Today, at age 5, his speech is beautiful and he is thriving in a mainstream Kindergarten classroom. It’s clear his future will have no limits. Last year, our younger son, Rex, was also born deaf. This time around, thanks to the League,
we were able to envision Rex’s future with confidence. We could look to his big brother Max and know that with the League’s help, Rex would learn how to talk and to listen. Rex began services at the League when he was only five weeks old, and now, at 20 months, his speech and language are right where they should be!
For almost 100 years, the League has been a leader in providing the finest, most
comprehensive services not only to children, but also to adults with hearing loss, regardless of their ability to pay. If you or a loved one has a hearing loss, you too can turn to the League for help.

The following are the two locations listed on the website:
Locations
League for the Hard of Hearing
50 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 917-305-7700 (Voice)
917-305-7999 (TTY)
917-305-7888 (Fax)

League for the Hard of Hearing - Florida
2800 W. Oakland Park Blvd, Suite 306
Oakland Park, FL 33311
Phone: 954-731-7200 (Voice)
954-731-7208 (TTY)
954-485-6336 (Fax)

There was also an excellent interview done at the League for the Hard of Hearing that had to do with the storyline being run on All My Children:
In the News
The League on Television
All My Children star Alicia Minshew plays the role of Kendall, a mother who recently discovered that her baby on the show, Spike, became deaf after a car accident. Alicia visited the League for the Hard of Hearing to observe children with hearing loss in therapy and talk to parents about their experiences. Alicia also spent time learning about cochlear implants, the impact of hearing loss on communication and what it is like to live with a hearing loss. The League applauds Alicia and All My Children for their commitment addressing such an important issue on the show. At this time, not all website videos are captioned. All My Children has, however, made the transcript of this video pod cast available. Click here for a transcript of Alicia's Video Pod Cast.
Click here to view the podcast. To find video, scroll down on the page to the daytime videos and click on the first one there that is labeled Episode 27. As soon as you do that, scroll back up to the top of the page and you'll see the video playing.

I love that Glen asked me to post the link and not the video directly, because I know what it means to have the need to thank the people who have played a fundamental role in helping your child find his future...so please visit the League for the Hard of Hearing website...there is a lot going on there and it all looks good!