Like many in her family, Kayla Braden suffered from early onset hearing loss. Her long battle to hear and overcome the associated social isolation and depression would provide the inspiration her mother would need to do the same. WashU Medicine neurotologist Pawina Jiramongkolchai, MD, MSCI, provided the surgery for both that would change their lives forever.
Kayla’s hearing loss was likely worsened by repeated antibiotics used to treat chronic childhood asthma. She was teased in school – called the deaf girl – and became depressed and withdrawn. It was difficult making friends and reaching out to others. She was voted Most Quiet in high school.
Kayla received her first hearing aids at 16 years of age. The hearing loss progressed however, worsening significantly in her mid-twenties. Attempts to provide a cochlear implant were met with repeated denials by Medicare until Jiramongkolchai intervened and convinced the insurer that Kayla met their criteria. Finally, at 30 years of age she would get the help she needed.
A nervous drive to WashU Medicine
Kayla and her mother Julie first met Jiramongkolchai after their previous doctor moved away from the area.
“When we first met, I hesitated – she’s so small and young-looking,” Julie said. “But when she started talking to us and looked me in the eye, I could tell she really cared and that we were in good hands.”
Driving to the hospital that morning, Julie was very nervous. This was her baby about to undergo surgery. But on that drive, a double rainbow appeared and she felt that had to be a sign from her deceased father that they were doing the right thing. He too had suffered hearing loss and for years wanted a cochlear implant he would never receive.
Sounds of a new beginning
Kayla’s outcome was quite remarkable – she started hearing sounds she hadn’t heard before, sounds she didn’t know existed.
“I had forgotten what rain sounded like, and it scared me at first,” she said. I didn’t even know that soft drinks fizzled, that papers rustled or that the tiny bell worn by our cat actually made a noise.”
In fact, a jingle bell was a post-surgery gift from her mother to remind her of the new world that had been enabled. When she walks through stores now, she can’t resist testing every bell and every wind chime to make sure she can hear it.
A mother considers her own options
It was only a year later, with Julie’s own hearing loss worsening, that she returned to see Jiramongkolchai to consider an implant of her own. She was driven not only by the success of her daughter’s surgery but a desire to fulfill her deceased father’s own wish to be implanted.
The choice – and the outcome – turned out to be good ones. Julie’s awareness of sounds improved dramatically, even renewing her love of music, but she explained, she had to learn to hear differently.
“I love listening to Bryan Adams,” she said. “But, the first time I listened to him after the implant, it sounded like he had just sucked on a helium balloon. Now, my brain has learned to interpret that more normally.”
According to Jiramongkolchai, both patients have achieved excellent outcomes with their cochlear implants, reflected not only in their speech perception scores but also in their renewed ability to connect with loved ones, engage in conversations, and participate more fully in everyday life.
“Dr. J has returned life to me,” she said. “But, she has given a whole new world to my daughter.”
Julie Braden
“As a clinician, it has been especially meaningful to care for a mother and daughter who have shared this journey together,” she said. “Watching Kayla’s progress has been particularly inspiring, and it has been remarkable to witness the profound impact her cochlear implant has had on her communication, confidence, and overall quality of life. Seeing both Kayla and Julie rediscover the sounds and conversations that matter most to them has been incredibly rewarding. It has been a true privilege to care for them, and I am deeply grateful to have been a part of their cochlear implant journey.”
Julie gets emotional talking about how the implants have changed their lives in so many ways, especially as a mother.
“Dr. J has returned life to me,” she said. “But, she has given a whole new world to my daughter.”