For us, Jaime's first birthday was not only a time to celebrate the first year of her life, but to also reflect on 365 days of challenges, setbacks and most of all achievements!
I can still recall Jaime's birth as if it was yesterday, after 9months of growing my daughter, feeling her kicks and imagining what she might be like once born, imagining what her life might hold, the time had come to meet her, hold her in our arms.
After a relatively quick 5hr labor my husband and I welcomed Jaime into our lives, into our family.
Looking at our precious baby she was perfect, the usual count, ten fingers and ten toes, she was as healthy as you could wish for.
At two days of age an audiologist from the royal children's hospital attended to perform routine hearing screens on Jaime. I didn't think twice, the past two days I had witnessed midwives and nurses perform routine health checks, simple, quick and uneventful.
Again I expected the same, I took the opportunity to sit and put my feet up for a moment, a rare oportunity when looking after a hungry newborn. After a few minutes I began to realise something was not quite right, the audiologist continued to readjust Jaime's little headphones, massaging Jaime's ears in an attempt to shift any fluid that might be present. Once the test was complete the nurse informed me that the result was "inconsistent".
Inconsistent? What did that mean? I was told that it was possible fluid was congesting her ears and not to worry, they would re test her tomorrow. Again tomorrow came and again Jaime did not respond to sound. I was in tears, I will blame some of the tears on post pregnancy hormones, but I need to be honest, despite all rational telling me that this was no big deal, in my mind it was devestating, the possibility of my daughter being deaf seemed too much to comprehend.
Over the next four weeks I had a lot of time to reflect, amongst the sheer amazement of watching and holding this beautiful baby girl, coming to the realisation she was all ours, was the slow acceptance that she may be deaf or hearing impaired. Over the days and weeks my husband and I began to recognise the signs... Jaime didn't respond or change her behaviour when we spoke or sang to her, she didn't startle, even when at a party she was oblivious when fire crackers were set off only meters from where we sat with her. Everyone would comment on how calm and layed back Jaime was, my husband and I on the other hand knew that something was wrong with Jaime's little ears.
These four weeks were therapeutic for me, to the extent that when at four weeks of age, after a 4hr audiology appointment, Jaime was diagnosed as sever-profound hearing loss, I was accepting and calm... I was ready to leap in with both feet, ready to do what it would take to help Jaime be the best she could be.
I began reasearching Auslan, hearing aids, cochlear implants, speech therapy and early intervention services. We were ready to accept Jaime's deafness whole heartedly (although at different times for my husband and I there were stumbling blocks and days of denial) and give her every possible opportunity in life.
At seven weeks of age Jaime was fitted with her 'purple pair', her first hearing aids. The following months were filled with a mixture of achievement and set back. It took five months before we realised that Jaime's hearing aids were not loud enough, 5months of wearing these devices and not gaining the speech sounds she desperately needed. After an adjustment we were back on track as well as on our way to receive a Cochlear Implant.
At 7 months Jaime and I ventured to the Royal Children's Hospital to undergo an MRI, our first big step towards the miracle of a cochlear implant, then finally on August 1st, the day arrived for Jaime to take a huge leap, the day of Jaime's surgery.
Two weeks later and we had lift off, switch on, sound! Since that day, since her CI was switched on Jaime has made leaps and bounds, she has amazed us everyday, new responses, new sounds, even a daily dance with daddy!
Now my baby girl launches into toddlerhood.
I watch this wonderful child and everyday am proud to be her mummy, she will always be an inspiration to us, and I hope to many more. I always knew my daughter would be special, I just never realised how special!
With love and Birthday wishes to my Jaime
To Jaime's quiet world and beyond!
