Annabelle Lawless came into the world in April 2016. The only child of her parents Sarah Jo and Tyler Lawless, she was born with profound hearing loss.

Annabelle’s parents told the Idaho Statesman that their tiny baby needed to stay in the NICU, and when the hospital tested her hearing, she didn’t pass. Over a series of months, Annabelle underwent a series of tests at a hearing center in Boise. At three months old, she was fitted for her very first hearing aid.

Sarah Jo recorded a video of Annabelle hearing music for the first time, as she intended to show it to her husband and save it for their baby when she got older. That touching video went viral last July, and the family spent months adjusting to life with a hearing aid. She could hear sounds!

The plan was for Annabelle to get a cochlear implant sometime in the future. She would be the first of her age to receive one in the state of Idaho. You may be wondering how different her hearing would be with an implant versus a hearing aid.

Hearing aids amplify sounds, increasing the volume of certain frequencies to make it easier to hear. They are attached to the ear and send sounds to a damaged cochlea. That positioning can limit the clarity of sounds and words. People who wear them often get tired from the influx of loud sounds, but it does enable hearing.

In contrast, cochlear implants have two pieces: one is surgically implanted and the other part goes on the ear. They bypass the cochlea, send sound signals to auditory nerve, and the brain is able to pick them up better. When a hearing aid isn’t enough, some opt for the implants. Implants enable those who are deaf or have profound hearing loss to hear conversations at high and low frequencies – without loud amplification.
 
For Annabelle, she’d be able to interpret sounds, voices, and conversations with a cochlear implant. A few days after her first birthday this past April, she had implant surgery, and in May it was finally turned on!
 

Sarah Jo and Tyler were prepped that the adorable little girl might get startled and cry. In the beginning, she seems very preoccupied with her cornucopia of toys, and is going to town on that carrot. Soon, she starts to notice the noise and voices. She gets a little upset and you’ll want to reach in and hug her, but her mommy is right there coaxing and comforting her.
 
Watch Annabelle’s experience unfold as she discovers the sounds of instruments, voices, and toys. Somewhere in there is a baby-toothed smile or two! With speech therapy, the implants will help her be able to speak and hear with some clarity. Her happy parents are looking forward to her future:

“It’s a huge milestone.  It’s kind of a bigger than a birthday or anything. This is what we’ve been working towards.”

 
Eventually, Annabelle will have a second surgery for a cochlear implant on her other ear. Are you excited for Annabelle and her family? Did this sweet baby bring you to tears too? Do you have a personal experience with hearing loss? Share with us in the comments!

Video Credit: Newsflare/SarahJoLawless

Sources:
KTVB
Audicus