UNC's 1000th cochlear implant lets girl hear family
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- One year-old Tatum Lanier heard sound for the first time in her life on Wednesday, when UNC doctor's activated her cochlear implant.
It's the hospital's 1000th procedure of the sort since they implanted the first device in 1993.
Tatum joins her brother, Gavin, who is also deaf and received a cochlear implant at UNC.
In fact, Tatum's whole family is deaf.
Parents Malinda Lanier and John Lanier have hearing aids to help them pick up sound and communicate via sign language. Gavin has learned to talk.
Dr. Hearld C. Pilsbury, executive director of the Carolina Children's Communicative Disorders Program, said of their patients who are over 18 years old, 77 percent have graduated high school and over 50 percent have graduated college.
"There are 1,000 children that are out there being mainstreamed into society," Pilsbury said. "And their parents, whether they're deaf or hearing, have a chance to keep them at home and send them to a normal school. And have them integrate with society and go to college, and do all kinds of things that they may not have been able to do otherwise so it's a huge deal for us."
"This device is an amazing thing for the deaf world in my opinion," Malinda said. "I think it gives the deaf more opportunities for their future."
She says she still plans to communicate with her children via sign language and is excited to see Tatum pick up speech like her brother.
"I always see Gavin trying to talk to her and then I see him remember 'oh I have to sign to her,' so it's going to be a good thing. Now they'll both be able to sign and talk," Malinda said.
