Sibling Spot: Brinley and Danica

Meet Brinley and Danica, siblings from California who never let hearing loss get in the way of fun!

Brinley, 8, has bilateral cochlear implants, and Danica, 10, does not have hearing loss. They both love gymnastics, baseball, and spending time together in their hidden fort in the bedroom that they share.

Danica: Brinley looks up to me as her big sister, and I look up to her for being so brave. She is always responsible with her cochlear implants, but there are times when I help, like when she’s swimming or when her batteries die. Hearing loss affects our relationship, but it’s neither good or bad— just different.

Brinley: My big sister helps me in so many ways. She repeats things if I don’t understand and is always there when I’m afraid. After a long day at school using my energy to hear, my sister is always understanding and there to give me a hug.

Danica: Brinley and my mom recently did a hearing loss demonstration at her school. Mom told the class all of the amazing things Brin’s ‘Magic Ears’ could do. With the help of her FM system, ‘Brinley the Magician’ was taken to a different room... wearing ear muffs! Mom asked the class to say a secret word. When Brinley came back in the room, she repeated the secret word (which she heard through her FM system!). The entire class was so impressed, and I was so proud of my sister’s confidence and determination.

One Last Word: In our family, we are each other’s number one supporters. We never say I can’t—it’s always, “I can!” We share our hearing loss story as a family to encourage other kids to always be proud of their differences.

Hearing loss is part of the whole family. Share your story with info@hearingourway.com

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