If you’re wondering why I was bursting with immense pride last weekend, consider this:
If he does develop meaningful speech, I’m not sure how good he’ll sound. And with his degree of hearing loss, he’ll need to be educated at a school for the deaf.
That’s what the audiologist told us when she diagnosed my oldest son, Ben, with bilateral severe-profound hearing loss back in 1995, at the age of seven weeks.
Last Friday afternoon, he graduated from one of the country’s top public high schools as a scholar, an accomplished leader and an award-winning journalist. He’s on his way to Georgetown University in the fall to study Government.
Thankfully, hearing technology has come a long way since 1995, and I think it’s fair to say he exponentially eclipsed his audiologist’s expectations. But his personal expectations were always much loftier than the original picture his audiologist painted, and through determination, incredible hard work and perseverance, he managed to achieve so many of his goals. I’m so proud of him and thrilled for his success.
He is an inspiration to anyone who has had a limit put on their accomplishments. Dream big. Aim high. Reach beyond the stars. And don’t EVER stop believin’!