Friday Audiogram: The Day A Mother's Voice Turned Her Baby’s Head

A whisper can change an entire family’s future. When Ally was born with microtia and aural atresia, her parents were told she wasn’t a candidate for a cochlear implant—and they left the hospital thinking that was a good thing. In this Friday audiogram, we open the door that should have been opened on day one: the world of bone conduction hearing devices, how they bypass the outer and middle ear, and why they can be the right fit for conductive hearing loss. From that first appointment to the moment a device is switched on, we walk through the decisions, referrals, and support networks that turn confusion into confident action.

We share how practicing at the top of scope changes lives: if you don’t specialize in bone‑anchored hearing aids, know who does, and refer quickly. You’ll hear how early intervention accelerates language and vocabulary growth, and why unilateral hearing loss still deserves serious attention for localization, classroom listening, and fatigue. Melissa explains how a centralized, global community helps families who lack insurance, don’t know the right terms to search, or feel overwhelmed by mixed messages. Clear resources, evidence‑based guidance, and real stories shorten the learning curve and get parents asking the right questions: Is bone conduction an option for my child’s anatomy? What’s the path from softband to implantation? How do we measure progress at home and in therapy?

The heart of this conversation is a single scene: an audiologist powers on a bone‑anchored device, whispers “Ally,” and a baby turns with bright eyes and a smile. That first response reveals what was missing and what’s now possible. If you’re a parent, caregiver, or clinician, this story offers a roadmap—understand the type of hearing loss, explore the full menu of appropriate hearing technology, lean on early intervention, and use community to stay informed and supported. If this episode helps you or someone you love, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and leave a review to help more families find their way.

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Chapters

• 0:00 A Surprise At Birth
• 0:24 Misconceptions And Missed Options
• 1:19 Practice At The Top Of Your Scope
• 2:42 Building A Global Support Community
• 4:02 A Life-Changing First Fit

Transcript

Melissa Tumblin: 0:00

Yeah, when Allie was missing her ear, and we were really surprised during her delivery, and no one could share with us why this happened. It was obvious to us with her ear missing, she must have trouble hearing. And so during our doctor's appointment, this was the one at Children's Hospital two and a half months after she was born. That was one of our very first questions. Surely she must be having trouble hearing. You know, is there a hearing device for her? And we actually were told she wasn't a candidate for a cochlear implant at the time. We left that appointment thinking that's good information. Because we hadn't heard of a bone-anchored hearing device. And we had no idea to even question that or ask for something different. And then when we found out, I couldn't believe that we weren't told about the only device that she could benefit from. You know, again, not really having very many people in our family with hearing loss. I didn't even understand that there's all kinds of different types of hearing loss. And there's all kinds of different types of hearing devices that treat those different types of hearing loss. And some you can benefit from, some are not for you. You can't be a candidate. And it was just quite a surprise when we found out about a bone conduction hearing device. And that was incredible when we finally found out.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS : 1:19

And the importance of, and this is to to our professionals of practicing at the top of your scope. Again, it's years later, but nonetheless, nonetheless, at that time, Melissa, hearing care professionals continuing to back then, but even today, continue to practice at the top of your care and making that appropriate referral. If you are a hearing care professional who maybe doesn't specialize in bone-anchored hearing aids, but you know what, Melissa, I know a phenomenal audiologist or hearing care professional who does, or an ENT who does. So that's again why we do what we do here at Hearing Matters is let's raise awareness, Melissa. You and I right now, we're collaborating on spreading the good news of better hearing because chances are there's a parent tuned in right now who might be going through exactly what you went through. And if we can shorten maybe that learning curve, provide some of that support, not only through this episode, but also through your support group, that means that we've done and are continuing to do our job. So your community, it's now global, supports both children and adults. What has surprised you most about building that peer-to-peer and professional bridge?

Melissa Tumblin: 2:42

Yeah, so I guess the best word I that comes to mind is community. We're all a part of the same community, whether we've sought help from our medical professionals or the families that are going through the same situation. This was one of the challenges I had when I had first gone online looking for information, and I couldn't find it. And so with your community, I wanted to make sure everything was in one place. And over the years, to I've been able to collaborate with medical professionals and, you know, help these families find the answers that most of us are lacking for whatever reason it is during our deliveries. And it's very overwhelming when we're having our babies and it's supposed to be such a wonderful moment. You get kind of lost and caught up in the months following. And there's a lot of worry and concern when you have a child that is struggling at first, or there's something unexpected. And so, yeah, through community, I've just been able to form a lot of relationships. And with that has been a lot of collaboration, which has been absolutely incredible. Again, this is something that was needed. Families didn't know where to go all the time. Not everyone goes to the audiologist. Not everyone goes to an ENT. Some people don't have insurance. And to be able to have a helpful resource online and find those answers, it has been it's been amazing. A portal of information.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS : 4:02

Let me ask you, because there's probably countless stories that you could share with us, but is there one interaction, one story? I mean, all of the stories in terms of your community, they are success stories. You know, you're creating this platform to provide support, but is there one story that sticks out to you? Is there one that comes to mind that really kind of will live in your heart for forever?

Melissa Tumblin: 4:29

Yes, you're right. There are many, many stories, all ages that I have seen incredible things happen. But the one that stands out is mine. So when we first aided Allie with a bone anchored hearing device, after we finally found early intervention services, and you know, they helped me understand what she was missing and explained to me language and vocabulary skills are coming in. And I I will always remember our audiology appointment. Our audiologist switched on the bone anchored hearing device on Allie and whispered her ear, Allie, behind her ear. And she whipped her head around and she her eyes lit up and she smiled. It truly, we saw this in her face and we're both teary-eyed, and we couldn't believe it. And it was the same with her early intervention providers. They said it was as if she had been engaged again with her environment. Because honestly, getting to know Allie when she was under one year of age and trying to understand her hearing loss and why my crochet and atresia happened to my child and all this, I guess I didn't really understand or realize why she wasn't very responsive. You know, again, I was told she still has one ear. She's hearing. So I feel like I was a little misled. And then I kid you not, that was the sing is believing moment. I will never ever forget. It meant so much. And I share that moment all the time, but I see it again and again. You probably do too on these videos. When children are aided for the very first time, it's an incredible experience. And like I said, it was absolutely a sing is believing moment.