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| Home / News / PIP news / | ||
| A Family Involved in the Parent-Infant Program | ||
| From Deaf & Legally Blind Infant
to Seeing-and-Hearing Cowboy! Bursting with the energy of a busy toddler, little Chancellor mounts a purple rocking horse, stands on top, extends his arms and shows off for Mom who stands close by. Two-year-old Chancellor Michael and his mom and grandparents are active participants in the Parent-Infant Program of the Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center. Riding a rocking horse standing up has special meaning for the family. After he was born, Chancellor (known as Chance) couldn’t breathe without an oxygen tent. He couldn’t hear, and couldn’t see, and the hospital staff where he was born told his mom, "You can expect your son to be deaf and blind." Being a "seeing-and-hearing" cowboy is one way that this little boy has proved the doctors wrong. Instead of being deaf, Chance has mild to moderate hearing loss, and only in the right ear where he sports a hearing aid, says mom Susan Harding. His sight has improved to normal (to which this writer can attest; the boy loves throwing balls and his aim is good). How did Chance go from being a critically "distressed" preemie to a toddler who is intent on aiming when he throws? Chance’s mom says there are various theories but she acknowledges that "No one really knows the answer to that question." What the family does know is, since they learned that complications might occur with delivery, a whole new world has opened to them. A big part of that world is the Parent-Infant Program where each week, staff interact frequently with Chance and his family. First, a program specialist visits Chance in the family home. Then there are signing classes and the Wednesday play group, not to mention support group meetings and seminars. When asked what aspects of PIP have helped Chance the most, Susan responds quickly, "You can tell the staff care deeplyÉyou wouldn’t believe how Chance brightens when Karen walks in the door of our apartment." Karen Chriest is a PIP staff member who specializes in working with deaf and hard of hearing children. "The staff’s technical expertise is as impressive" she continues, "in fact, the Center is especially known for doing a super job testing babies for hearing and speech problems." The weekly play group provides Chance an opportunity to interact with other children. "We’ve had the pleasure of watching Chance bloom from being reserved to being thoroughly engaged, active and having fun with the other kids" says Karen. Two-year-old Chancellor Michael pauses from playing cowboy to look at the camera. During a reflective moment, Susan says " I really love the PIP program and Seattle." Susan and her family came here 1 1/2 years ago, and the path they took to find the PIP program is an interesting one. Before that, Susan Harding lived in Philadelphia where she completed medical school and her residency. She received a job offer from Harborview where she had applied for a fellowship in orthopedic trauma. The career opportunity came at the same time she was pregnant with twins. (Sadly, the delivery was complicated and Chance’s twin brother Nicolas died in early infancy.) "I can’t say that it’s been easy," Susan acknowledges, "but I am used to challenges and being a mom and being at Harborview are both so excitingÉ." She admits to being relieved when her parents, Richard and Judith Ann Harding, volunteered to move here and help with Chance. Everyone is enthused about how Chance has developed over the last months. Family members are optimistic that Chance may even learn to talk. But if he doesn’t, Susan Harding says it is okay. " Now, thanks to our experience with PIP, we know there are many ways to communicate. If Chance doesn’t learn to talk, there is sign language and other methods he will master. As long as he communicates, I know he’ll do just fine in the world." She adds jokingly, "and who knows maybe he’ll be the first President who signs." |
