Touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing. These are the five senses that help us survive and guide us through our everyday lives. And yet, only when we lose one of them do we realize just how much we take them for granted.
At the same time, seeing people finally being able to enjoy their life to the fullest after getting back that lost sense is truly heartwarming. For example, when this woman had her cochlear implant activated and had an opportunity to hear her family's voices for the first time, everybody witnessing it had a hard time holding back their tears. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info: TikTok
Hearing is one of our primary senses, and yet, it often goes underappreciated by those who have always had it
Image credits: Holly Cain
The video of a woman getting her cochlear implant activated for the first time began with the doctor explaining her expectations and goals for the session
At least 1.5 billion people in the world are currently affected by some kind of hearing loss. The woman in the video, Holly Cain, who suffers from a rare inner ear condition known as Ménière's disease, is one of them.
Living life without one of the main senses can be truly challenging. Fortunately, our medicine has advanced far enough to tackle these problems and, in the process, create some wonderful moments.
Image credits: Holly Cain
Image credits: Holly Cain
When the woman's hearing aid was turned off and the implant activated, the family was allowed to talk to her, which made her very emotional
A little under a year ago, Holly Cain got a chance to live through this kind of moment herself, as she had her cochlear implant activated and could properly hear her family's voices for the first time in her life. When all the heartwarmingly raw emotions were caught on tape by her husband and later posted on her personal TikTok profile, it didn't take long for the story to go viral.
The video began with the doctor sharing what was going to happen and how exactly the process would go down. Trying to manage her expectations, she also explained that getting the implant fully operational is a process. Since this was the very first activation session, their goal was only to get the volume levels right.
Image credits: Holly Cain
Image credits: Holly Cain
The woman explained that the sound wasn't perfect yet, but she could hear her family members better than before
With the hearing aid turned off and the implant activated, it took only a couple of tweaks for Holly to start hearing her children's and husband's voices. From there, things got emotional, and tears started dropping.
The woman was a bit shocked by how her own voice sounded and added that everything was a little alien-ish, but none of that seemed to be able to disrupt the absolutely wholesome moment that they all were having.
People in the comments were really touched by witnessing this moment, too. Those who could relate were inclined to share their own stories, while others simply expressed their happiness for Holly and talked about how many things we take for granted without realizing it.
Check out the full video:
Looking to expand on this subject and better understand what it is like to live with hearing loss, Bored Panda reached out to Lance Dolf-Richards, who is a deaf actor and content creator with over 250,000 followers on TikTok.
"My name is Lance Dolf-Richards. I'm 35 years old, and I'm from Cape Town, South Africa. I was born deaf and am still deaf," began the man, sharing that the content he makes is relatable regardless of your hearing condition.
Image credits: Lance D. Richards
Content creator Lance Richards is another cochlear user who has been living with hearing loss his whole life
When asked about his journey as a deaf person, Lance revealed that his deafness was diagnosed when he was around 1-2 years old. "I used the pot and lid to hit on the ground. My parents did not know what to do with me, and out of curiosity and worry, they took me to the doctor for a check-up," said the actor. "They found out that I could not hear in both ears."
After the audiologist gave Lance his very first hearing aid and turned it on, for roughly the next 30 years, it always accompanied him wherever he went. However, things took a turn when the man had his first major panic attack during COVID, which affected his hearing nerve system. "I went to my audiologist, and she said I won't be able to hear better, and my hearing aid won't improve my hearing."
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
Similar to Holly Cain, Lance was given the option to switch to a cochlear implant to reduce his tinnitus and improve his hearing. Encouraged by his two best friends, Ashleigh and Nicole, the actor didn't hesitate for long. While, at first, things that he could hear reminded him of a combat video game, he soon started progressing at an impressive pace, and even though there were plenty of challenges, for the past three years, the man has been able to enjoy a whole new quality of life in terms of hearing.
"I was very overwhelmed and yet excited, but it also meant hard work to practice hearing every day and identifying the names of the sounds. E.g., a bird singing or the sound of a dog barking. It might sound simple to a person who can hear, but it is a completely new world for a deaf person wearing a cochlear for the first time."
Image credits: Brett Sayles (not the actual photo)
He shared insights into what it's like to have hearing loss, explaining that talking to a deaf person might require a little more patience, but they're just as capable as the rest of us
When talking about deaf awareness, Lance said that life is all about learning as well as adapting. The responsibility falls on both the hearing community not to be ignorant and deaf people to educate others. "Some people do think hearing-loss people are dumb and can't talk. They are not dumb."
The content creator explained that dealing with someone who has hearing loss might require a little more patience and understanding. "If hearing-loss people can't hear you, tap on them gently and repeat yourself," said the man, explaining that it can be especially difficult to hear when someone is talking to you behind your back in a loud environment. "Don't ever ignore or get irritated when deaf people ask [you] to repeat [something]. Rather, write/type down what was said."
"Being deaf is a challenge when growing up, but it is also not the end of the world. You can still live a normal life and still achieve everything you set your mind to," added the actor, explaining that hearing loss isn't all bad. "The silver lining to being deaf is learning how unique and strong you are. Just be you. Work hard and make your dreams come true. Deaf people do have talents, and they CAN be successful."
Image credits: Zoe Graham (not the actual photo)
So, ultimately, while hearing is one of our primary senses and being born without it is a challenge, the stories of Holly and Lance are great examples of how most of us take hearing for granted and don't give it the care or appreciation that it deserves.
At the same time, it's wise to remember that we all have our own advantages and disadvantages, and it is due to what we lack in some places that we find ways to improve ourselves and come across some unique angles that others might be unaware of. After all, while we might be different, we're all equal nonetheless.
What did you think about this story? What are some other things we often take for granted without realizing it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The commenters were just as emotional as the woman in the video and couldn't help but cry because of the wholesomeness of the moment
