Written by:

Melinda Hayden

Melinda has a Master’s degree in industrial and community counseling and has worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior for 34 years. While she is now retired to Chesapeake, VA, she will always consider the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area home. Melinda has been an AB Mentor since 2013, and serves as a moderator on Advanced Bionics Hearing Journey Chat on Thursday nights. She considers the Advanced Bionics community her second family. These days, Melinda is particularly excited about the possibility of remote mapping appointments! She suspects that will happen before high speed rail comes to the I-95 corridor.

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Advanced Bionics Gave Me Independence

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 By Melinda Hayden

I was born hearing, but as a preemie a two pounds, seven ounces. I lost my hearing due to streptomycin I was given at around 18 months of age. I was just starting to talk, saying words like “Dada, cookie, bye-bye.” But instead of talking more and more over time, I turned silent instead. I would press my ear to the TV to hear it. I was growing deaf in a hearing family.