When their son Daniel was born deaf, his parents Dayle and Nick were distraught. Nick had grown up deaf himself and knew all too well the isolation and loneliness faced by a deaf child in a world in which everyone else can hear.

At the age of three, Daniel began the process of having a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid implanted– a cutting-edge advancement in hearing technology also known as a BAHA. This would require four surgeries at The Montreal Children’s Hospital. “It’s a lot for a young child to go through but from the very beginning the doctors, nurses and staff at The Children’s were so supportive and caring,” says Dayle. “Daniel proudly refers to it as ’my hospital.’’

As an adult, Nick also benefitted from the surgery. “When I had a BAHA implanted, my life changed completely. It makes an even more meaningful difference for Daniel, as hearing is so critical for language and vocabulary development in young children."

The BAHA opened Daniel’s world. His mom Dayle remembers her son’s amazement the first time he was able to hear his sister’s voice with both BAHAs. As such, he can now perceive direction of sound and distance, both very important to Daniel in the classroom, and for safety reasons. ’When he received his second BAHA, we had his little sister stand nearby while he closed his eyes. He had to ’find’ her by the sound of her beautiful voice. He could find her, over and over!’’

Now eight, Daniel is able to go to school without having to wear hearing aids, and he can hear his teachers and friends much easier. “The effects of the BAHA are far-reaching,” explains Dr. Sam Daniel, young Daniel’s doctor and surgeon. “A child with a BAHA will immediately hear a much greater range of sound, but in the long term the BAHA can also have a significant impact on a child’s development, confidence and social integration.”

Dayle says that she and her family feel doubly blessed. “Not only do we have access to internationally-renowned specialists like Dr. Daniel, but we are equally grateful to the donors who fund the BAHA program.” Because BAHAs are not covered by the Quebec government, The Children’s BAHA program only exists thanks to the support of the community.

"Having grown up knowing the difference between having a BAHA and not having one, I can attest to just how important the work being carried out by the Hospital is," says Nick. "It’s crucial that we support the teams that are doing so much to take care of our kids."

Please help Daniel today.