Billy's Testimonial
Listening. Speaking. Learning Together.
Billy received a bilateral moderate to severe hearing loss diagnosis at birth in 2015. Jenny, Billy’s mother, was initially surprised, shocked, in disbelief and denial. After her initial feelings subsided, she began her journey of acceptance and wanted to learn as much as she could about Billy’s diagnosis. Jenny thought it was very important for Billy to learn to listen and speak. “I want him to have every opportunity. I want him to appreciate simple, beautiful sounds like the birds chirping and have a love of music. And though it's purely selfish, I want to hear his sweet voice." Thus, began their journey to make those possibilities a reality.
Billy started attending DePaul School for Hearing & Speech in 2016. He currently wears a CI and Hearing Aid. Since learning to communicate through hearing and speech, Billy makes friends easily and talks all the time. Jenny is grateful for the strong bonds with other families who have children with hearing loss. Billy recalls his first teacher was Miss Amanda in the Toddler Program and his earliest memory of DePaul was riding the school bus and making friends. His favorite memory so far is playing with his friends on the playground and when the firemen came to visit.
Attending DePaul drastically changed Billy’s life for the better. “Our child going to DePaul has profoundly changed our lives in what could only be for the better. He has made friends with peers just like himself and feels acceptance and support. He loves going to school! This positivity has molded him into the outgoing, social little man that he is and whom we love. He has learned so much in the adaptive environment that will prepare him for inclusion in the future. His continuous work in his class, speech, OT and PT makes his skills and speech clarity stronger every day." Jenny is so appreciative of all of the opportunities DePaul has given Billy. Without DePaul, she believes life would have looked so different. "We feel forever indebted to DePaul School for all it has done and continues to do for our son and his friends like him. Thank you for EVERYTHING!"