On September 13th, 2024 our sweet Sonny boy made his way earthside, little did we know he would bring so much sunshine to us each day. Harrison failed his newborn hearing screening in the hospital where he was born. The wonderful technicians kept trying to retest him while they remained positive and said he may be 'failing' in his left ear due to fluid from the C-section. Two weeks later we returned with hopeful hearts that the fluid went away and he would pass in both ears. Unfortunately, he did not. We immediately were referred to CHP Audiology. Weeks went by and Sonny had an appointment with Audiology to do further testing. It was during this (very long) test, he showed no brain response to sounds in his left ear. We were told he was showing "severe to profound" hearing loss in his left ear. His right ear was wonderful, praise be to God! After the news, we were then referred to CHP ENT, Dr. Chi. We were told Dr. Chi is the best of the best, and boy oh boy, isn't that true!? How lucky are we!? Dr. Chi's calmness and professionalism along with his knowledge and presence just gave us peace as he referred Harrison for an MRI of his brain. Weeks pass and more tests are performed on our sweet newborn baby. The amount of prayers sent up were countless, and so many emotions ran through our heads as parents. In December, we get a personal call from Dr. Chi. He tells me that Harrison does not have the nerve in his brain on his left side to receive sound. Again, we are assured his right ear is great and has all of the nerves and structures needed for a "healthy" hearing ear. While I selfishly felt my world was much heavier, Dr. Chi assured me his right ear was wonderful and he would live a successful life. Harrison is not a candidate for a hearing aid or cochlear implant because the nerve that would receive the sound in his brain is absent. After many more appointments with Dr. Chi and the Hearing Center at CHP, we talked about other amplification systems that could be an option down the road. We also were told to follow up with many other specialists and testing with CHP to just stay on the right track to ensure that success for Harrison. Since all of this, we, as a family have such a wonderful support system not only from family, but from other families in our area and areas far who have children with hearing loss. 

We are so grateful to live in the Pittsburgh area and have access to truly some of the best professionals in this country and we are excited to support CHP and further research towards the Hearing Center. 

While Harrison may not be able to hear from his left side, we are all 'Hear' for him through his journey. 

Join us in support for this amazing organization and help us reach our goal! 

Thank you for your support! 

The Farneth Family