There is a new show on ABC called "What About Brian?" that has a storyline on a child with hearing loss. I was able to watch the last episode, and it made me cry to see the girl playing, isolated from those around her because she can not hear! The little girl was born with profound hearing loss and her parents are deciding on whether or not to have cochlear implant surgery done on her. It airs on Monday nights at 10 PM.
In the show, the daughter's daycare provider tells the parents that their daughter does not respond when she calls her name and is concerned there might be a problem. The parents take her to the pediatrician. The parents discuss their concerns with the physician and mention that she passed her newborn hearing screening. When the child receives a diagnosis of profound hearing loss, the parents discuss the option of a cochlear implant with a pediatrician friend. At the end of the last episode, they've decided in favor of the surgery.
This is a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children with hearing loss! There will be featured public service announcements (PSA) on early hearing detection and intervention following some episodes. I can not tell you how important it is to have your child's hearing screened. We NEVER would have thought that our child would have hearing loss. I am so excited that there is a show bringing awareness to this birth defect. Hearing loss is the #1 birth defect in America today, and yet it is so rarely mentioned.
The show has declining viewership right now, so its' season is now scheduled to end early. I thought you might be interested in watching. I can't wait to watch the television journey and see how it compares with the real life journey we are on with Drew!
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