A Mother's Letter to her Deaf Child

The Guardian has printed a letter written by a mother about the difficult decision of whether to give her deaf child a cochlear implant. She writes in part:

It is not an easy decision, a cochlear implant, and I hope you will forgive us for our decision. Giving a cochlear implant to a child who has never heard sound is a controversial and sensitive subject. The surgeons advise against implanting them after the age of four, as the likelihood of being able to interpret and make use of the sound is greatly diminished. We can’t wait until you are older to ask what you want, we have to choose for you.

Read the entire letter here.