While Drew has been sick over the last several days, one thing we have found quite interesting and exciting is that music, specifically our singing, has been instrumental in calming him down.
Once we were at the emergency room on Sunday night, Drew woke from his post-seizure sleep very cranky and was crying very hard. I started to sing, "Rock-a-bye Baby" and he immediately calmed. Each time a doctor came into our room and would examine him, Drew would cry and I would sing. He would stop crying until the cycle repeated itself again. He enjoyed my singing. (I know, can you believe it?) My parents and I all noticed this and thought it was quite amazing that a deaf baby enjoyed singing so much.
Drew can certainly tell the difference between speech and music. When I would try to comfort him with, "It's OK, Drew," or something like that, he would continue to cry. But as soon as I would sing, he was fine. This pattern has continued all week. If Drew is really upset, the sure-fire way to calm him is with song.
Amazing, don't you think? A deaf baby calmed by his mothers singing. I couldn't write a more perfect story.
9 comments:
Beautiful post - I'm so relieved Drew is feeling better!
ABSOLUTELY LOVELY! It melts my heart to hear this! I'm glad Drew is feeling better!
So glad that Drew is getting better and being soothed by your singing!
My daughter is majoring in psychology with a music minor. She wants to combine her love of music with therapy in patients. Your story is proof that music can reach patients where words don't. I sent my daughter the link to your blog so she can read this. Thank you for sharing.
That is wonderful! We have the opposite experience in my family. Kevin enjoys listening to anyone sing, but ME. We joke all the time that even my deaf child can't stand to listen to me sing!!!
Who knows, he may have a future in music! Amything is possible with your sweet boy.
My son is profoundly deaf. He will get his first of bi-lateral cochlear implants in the next couple of months. He also enjoys music (singing or humming). He rests his ear or cheek on my chest and is calmed anytime I'm singing or humming. He seems to really enjoy it. I believe it has something to do with vibration. They can tell the difference between singing, talking and even tone or pitch. My therapist encourages us to allow him to rest his ear or cheek on our chest while we talk. He's also blind in one eye and nearly blind in his other eye (extreme ROP). They can learn alot about a person just by resting their head on a persons chest.
So glad to hear that Drew is doing better!!
Hope to see you in a couple of weeks at the picnic( still working on Bill to figure out his work schedule)
I'm so inspired by this story (as well as everything I've been reading about Drew these past few weeks). Our 5 week-old son referred on his newborn screening several times. After further testing, he's been diagnosed with profound hearing loss. As a professional opera singer, I'd taken it for granted that our house would be full of music. I'd never imagined I wouldn't be be able to soothe my upset child with my singing, much less my voice. (Diaper changes bring out his rage.). I share your joy over this!
Over the past couple emotionally draining weeks, I've found hope in Drew's successes. I've fallen in love with him. And YOU are awesome parents! There's no way he could have come so far without your hard work, dedication, determination, and love.
Steph,
Thank you for your comment. It is comments like yours that keep me blogging! I know the feelings we had when Drew was first diagnosed, and wish there would have been something like this - to provide that hope we needed - at the time Drew was diagnosed.
Please feel free to email me any questions you may have.
Your little guy is going to do great! CI's are truly amazing!
Drew's Mom
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