Deaf Baby Hears Mom Tell Her ‘I Love You’ For The First Time Thanks To Hearing Aids And Reacts Adorably

Dec 13, 2022 by apost team

In a video from 2017 that warmed hearts around the world, a beautiful baby girl got to experience her mommy telling her "I love you" for the first time. Now for most, it happens naturally. But for a baby who is deaf, it is a breakthrough. Little Charly's parents had to deal with the fact that their wonderful little daughter was born with impaired hearing. After the help of a specialist and modern technology, their daughter was able to hear her parents' voices for the first time.

Baby Charly's parents grew concerned when their little girl didn't respond to noises or vocal cues. The concerned parents took her to the doctor and requested a hearing test. The results showed that Charly was hearing-impaired. She would need to start wearing a hearing aid immediately. A hearing specialist molded a hearing aid specifically for Charly's ear. Once they turned it on, they had no idea she was going to have such a profound reaction.

Children born with no hearing impairment get immersed in language from the moment they arrive in the world. As people speak, these non-impaired children start to pick up that certain sounds have meaning.

Children born with hearing loss don't get this type of immersive experience as infants. They have difficulty developing language skills. That's why most doctors recommend that infants with hearing loss be fitted with hearing aids as quickly as possible. 

The sooner an infant gets fitted with hearing aids, the sooner they start developing those critical language skills. Charly's parents made it a priority to get her fitted immediately. 

Waiting any longer would hinder Charly's development. The hope was that the hearing aid would give the baby girl an avenue into the world of sound. Because she was so young, however, they didn't know how well things would go. 

They were in for an amazing surprise. As soon as the hearing aid went on, Charly's face transformed. She got to hear her mother's voice for the first time, bringing her to tears. As she heard more and more, the expressions on her face showed her emotions. 

In an interview with Good Housekeeping in 2017, Charly's mom Christy Keane said after speaking to Charly with her hearing aids on, they both experienced something new. "I had never in my life seen that face before," she said. 

"I'm her mother, and I know the look in her eyes when she's sad, upset or hurting, and that connection, and that moment when our eyes met and she heard my voice for the first time, that was true emotion from her," she added.

Of course, Charly cannot verbalize her feelings at a young age. But, everyone in the room could tell she started crying when she heard her mother for the first time. It no doubt took longer for Charly to learn to talk and develop her listening skills, but with the wonder of science, her life truly changed forever.

Keane posted an update in October 2021, four years after her first video. She said that Charly was "bilaterally implanted, uses ASL & speech (prefers speech) and is thriving in school!" What's more, she "LOVES to sing and dance" and even started gymnastics. 

"She has the biggest personality and an even bigger heart! She is a social butterfly. She is tough. She will try anything. She is smart. ... She will definitely be a leader in some way when she grows up."

The proud mom added that she had spoken to two other mothers who had newborns diagnosed with hearing loss and sent them her love and reassurance that they could get through it just like she and Charly had. 

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What did you think of Charly's reaction to this brand-new world of sound? What about the update that Christy Keane gave about Charly's progress? Let us know, and give your friends and family the chance to see this heartwarming moment for themselves.