Tomorrow, February 25th is International Cochlear Implant Day. I first read about this event a couple of years ago, but it has always been so low key that no one really knew about its existence. I have tried to change that by creating an International Make Your Own CI Food / Create a CI video to raise awareness contest. Thank you so much to Mark Rosal of
Ear Gear who has donated various pairs of EAR GEAR that will reach winners all over the world: we already have entries from Australia, Pakistan, India, Italy, the USA, the UK, Norway, etc. Parents from around the world have posted cakes, videos, pizzas, cookies, bananas, cous cous...that they have created together with their kids to create a magical CI moment.
Someone from a group asked why do we need a CI Day?
We need a CI Day to celebrate the work we are doing with our children, the words we teach every single day to give them a voice, the hours we sacrifice to provide our kids with a future and above all, the neverending supply of love that comes out of our pores when we are at our lowest moments in trying to find the strength to take the next step forward when all we want to do is crawl back into bed and bury ourselves under the covers.
Every day new parents of babies diagnosed with profound hearing loss appear on the forums desperate for answers, and the Moms are always ready to take time to answer questions and provide resources. We pay it forward every single day, because we lived that abyss years ago.
The Mom who made the cake on this post wrote the following in a comment:
When my daughter saw the cake, she still didn't talk very well. She
touched her ear and pointed to the cake, saying Boo-Boo, because I
didn't make this cake now, but in June of last year when Martina was
one. Although Martina was born in March of 2010, for us it was as if she
was born in June of last year. She lived her first two years of life in
total silence, she had never heard her mother's voice or her father's
voice, the birds singing, the sound of a closing door, nothing nothing
and nothing. In fact, when she began to hear, my calm and silent Martina
became another child, much more self-confident and now she never stops
talking. I am so happy to have made the right decision for her,
otherwise I would never have had such a crazy-beautiful little girl. And
now...it's her baby sister's turn. We still don't know her degree of
hearing loss, but if it will be like her big sister's, we will not
hesitate in making the same decision for cochlear implants. I don't know
if this cake can be considered an entry in the International Cochlear
Implant Day Contest, because I made it a year ago, but for me in this
moment, it was more important for me to have shared about Emanuela's
hearing loss...they are my sun and my moon:-)
We are a Community and we have earned our International CI Day.
Hmm...how to celebrate?
As I tell all of my Moms, take your baby out for an ice-cream, a simple Mother-Child ice-cream: no lessons, no therapy, just a lot of hugs, kisses and rainbow sprinkles on top!!
