MEET BLAINE
When Blaine failed his newborn hearing screening his parents were told it was likely due to fluid and not to worry. But, when he was six months old, they learned he was completely deaf in both ears. They brought him to Nationwide Children’s Hospital to begin the cochlear implant process. After a complicated but successful surgery, Blaine’s parents learned there was a genetic source of his deafness and he diagnosed with X-linked hearing loss. His surgery was considered a huge success because his type of hearing loss is not usually considered for cochlear implants. His surgeon, Dr. Ed Dodson, even wrote a case study about Blaine to help other kids with his type of hearing loss.
Post-surgery, Blaine began quickly acquiring listening and spoken language skills at a very rapid pace! As exciting as it was, it was also a signal that preceded his autism diagnosis. His memorization skills and obsession with detail not only helped him not only acquire language and build vocabulary – but also helped him close a learning gap.
Blaine is now nine years old, and despite being born deaf, he loves listening to music, writing songs, and is even teaching himself to play the piano. He’s an exceptional student and is on the honor roll. He loves Harry Potter, telling jokes and playing with his dog, Lilo.