Accepting a New Normal

While I realize it is petty, one of the most upsetting aspects of Sonya’s hearing loss was the fact that she would need to wear hearing aids, and eventually cochlear implants.

I love the way Sonya looks and couldn’t process the fact that she would need external devices in order to hear. Above all, I feared how she would be perceived by others. The implants and hearing aids are visible and will cause people to question whether she is “a normal child.” I am ashamed to admit that it took several audiological visits to convince me that her ability to hear far outweighed such aesthetic differences.

When Sonya was one month old, she received a pair of loaner hearing aids from NYU. Aside from the fact that they blinked red lights to indicate they were on, they were actually very cute. 

I realized then that my underlying fear – that these aids would somehow define my daughter – was unrealized. Sonya’s personality continued to shine, and the hearing aids did not take away from that. In fact, people didn’t even notice them – or if they did – they were drawn to her inner and outer beauty and the aids were only a side fact.

Author: Missy Kvitko

Born in Fargo, North Dakota, I grew up in Minnesota. After graduating from Macalester College in 2004, I moved to New York City. For 10 years I worked in the field of public relations, representing professional services firms and financial services (in particular alternative asset managers) In 2014, my life changed dramatically with the birth of my first child, Sonya Rose. Born with severe to profound hearing loss. Sonya's care has become my full time job. It is also the best job I have ever had. My husband, Sonya and I live in Manhattan. Please feel free to email me anytime at missy.kvitko@gmail.com, or find me on instagram (@mmkvitko) and twitter (@HearSonyaRose). Thank you so much for reading. View all posts by Missy Kvitko