Texas Children’s Hospital Hosts Inaugural Cochlear Implant Day Celebration

The Texas Children's Cochlear Implant Team at CI Day. From left to right, Ronald Vilela MD, Henri Traboulsi MD, Kristan Alfonso MD, Irene Garcia-Benavides SLP, Nancy Schwartz AuD, Roselinda Randolph SLP, Karoline Kraechan RN, Shawnee Gastal AuD, Kiyana Sagarang AuD, and Claudia Emery AuD. 

When Jonathan stood up to speak at Texas Children’s first-ever Cochlear Implant Day, his mother felt nervous but knew he would be fine. It was his first time speaking publicly in a formal setting.

“He likes being the center of attention,” Jonathan’s mom, Brigette, shared with a laugh. “He did a wonderful job. He just took the microphone and described all the things he likes to listen to — like music and talking on the phone. Without the implants, none of that would have been possible.” 

When it comes to being the center of attention, Jonathan is no stranger to the spotlight. At just 8 months old, he became an internet sensation in a video that captivated millions. The video, “Jonathan’s Cochlear Implant Activation,” was posted on YouTube in April 2008 and received millions of hits. 

It shows Jonathan smiling joyfully at his mother as he hears her voice, thanks to a new cochlear implant.

“One day, a friend called and said we were on Good Morning America,” remembers Brigette. “It was surreal. The video went viral. For a time, we kept getting messages from the media asking for interviews.”  

Now 17 years old, Jonathan has come a long way. “He’s doing better than anyone could have anticipated,” said Brigette. “We were so proud to see him speak to other families at Texas Children’s.”

Patient and family panel at CI Day. Here, Brigette, Jonathan and Mark share their story.

Jonathan’s journey 

For Jonathan’s family, his journey has been nothing short of miraculous. Although he was born healthy, Jonathan contracted bacterial meningitis, an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord that can result in brain damage or death, when he was just four months old. 

He was rushed to the ER on Christmas Eve in 2007 and immediately hospitalized. Thankfully, he recovered, but he lost his hearing and developed seizures and cerebral palsy as a result of his infection. Weeks later, he was officially diagnosed with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss.

“If you look at his MRIs before he was implanted, let’s just say it was bad,” said Brigette. “Nobody expected him to be doing as well as he’s doing today.”    

"We've definitely had some challenges," agreed Mark, Jonathan’s father, explaining to TODAY.com how his son uses a walker to help him with balance issues because of his cerebral palsy.

The meningitis also left him deaf, and Jonathan’s parents had to make a difficult decision about cochlear implants.

"We were in the hospital and because of the meningitis, we only had a couple of weeks to decide if we were going to do the cochlear implant," Mark told TODAY.com. "The cochlea was hardening because of the meningitis. We had a limited window to make a decision and if we didn't make it, it would completely ossify and we would never be able to do the implant in the future."

Jonathan’s parents decided to go ahead with the surgery. To help other families trying to make similar decisions, they posted a video of Jonathan’s first reaction when the implant was activated. 

“We call that a late Christmas present,” his doctor can be heard saying in the background as 8-month-old Jonathan beams at the sound of his mother’s voice. 

"Being able to see his reaction like that was so sweet,” Brigette told NBC. "It helped us know we had made the right decision."

Dr. Ronald Vilela, one of the TCH CI surgeons, is seen here with CI day participants. 

What are cochlear implants? 

Cochlear implants are innovative devices that can directly stimulate the auditory nerve and improve hearing in children with significant hearing loss. “It’s a medical device that provides auditory input for people who have severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss," says Dr. Kristan P. Alfonso, Director of the Cochlear Implant Program at Texas Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Alfonso explains that the implant has both internal and external components. Once the internal piece is implanted surgically, the external components — a microphone, speech processor and transmitter — pick up sound, filter it and send it to a receiver/stimulator and internal electrode array.

"The external portion looks like a hearing aid that is worn on the ear,” says Dr. Alfonso. “It has a microphone as well as a processor in it, and it’s attached via magnet to the internal component." 

Cochlear implants were approved for use in children in 1990. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 1 million cochlear implants have been implanted worldwide as of July 2022. In the United States, roughly 118,100 devices have been implanted in adults and 65,000 in children. 

The Cochlear Implant Program at Texas Children’s Hospital aims to provide comprehensive, specialized care for children with severe degrees of hearing loss. The goal is to help them achieve the best possible communication outcomes. Since the program started in 2001, Texas Children’s has treated more than 700 children. The decision about recommending cochlear implants requires the input of specialists in multiple areas, including Otolaryngology, Audiology, Speech Pathology and Neuropsychology, among others. These specialists make up the members of
the Cochlear Implant Team, who collaborate to determine who is a candidate for surgery, perform the implantation and help families through the necessary rehabilitation afterwards.

“It takes a big team to make that happen,” says Dr. Alfonso.

 A cochlear implant recipient shares advice with a family at TCH CI Day. 

Cochlear Implant Day at Texas Children’s Hospital  

On March 1, Texas Children's Hospital held its first-ever Cochlear Implant Day event, with participation from various community organizations — including Texas Hearing Institute, All Ears! Center and the Davies Institute. The event brought together families, professionals and vendors to celebrate cochlear implants and raise awareness about hearing loss in children. It provided opportunities for families to connect with other families and to hear from professionals in the field. Resources were available to educate attendees about cochlear implants. 

“We had vendors in the hallway to provide information for families,” said Dr. Alfonso. “And we had a lot of supporting associations present. Even the Houston Fire Department came. They provided information on the different types of smoke alarms for people who have hearing loss, like the very bright flashing lights that come along with that technology. So they were able to provide those and help families set up applications if they wanted them installed in their homes.”

Otolaryngologists (ENT surgeons), audiologists and speech pathologists all delivered presentations, and there was a balloon artist and a face painter to add fun for the whole family.

Jonathan was one of four cochlear implant recipients who spoke at the event. Another recipient, an 18-year-old girl named Atley, spoke about her first year in college and how implants help her in class.

“It was a wonderful celebration,” said Karoline Kraechan, nurse coordinator for the CI program. “And we were all so proud to see our patients thriving. Afterwards, Jonathan’s mom sent me a message, saying this was Jonathan’s first time speaking publicly in front of a crowd of people. It was a really big moment for their family.”

Hope for the future

In addition to public speaking, Jonathan continues to surpass expectations. Officially a member of his high school baseball team, he also plays adaptive baseball, adaptive golf and even adaptive skiing. Each year, he attends multiple camps and continues to improve his communication skills. 

“I am so grateful for Texas Children’s Hospital,” said Brigette. “We are very happy with our decision about cochlear implants. For other families facing similar challenges, I would recommend seeking out the best medical advice from a team of experts and trusting your instincts as a parent. Don’t let people judge you for your decisions. Don’t let others discourage you.”

Learn more about the Cochlear Implant Program at Texas Children’s. Call 832-822-3508 to make an appointment.