Peruvian Girl Hears for the First Time Thanks to Arkansans
By: Jessica Dean
Updated: May 4, 2012
On Thursday afternoon Claudia Navarro, 2, twirled her hair and reacted to the sounds she was hearing.
For any other two year old, this would be an unremarkable series of events, but for Claudia it was nothing short of a miracle.
That moment of hearing took over 3,000 miles of travel, nearly two years of waiting and dozens of people working together.
"It is for us, like a dream," explained Claudia's father, Aldo.
Claudia was born with profound hearing loss. In the family's home country of Peru, doctors placed Claudia on a waiting list for a cochlear implant. That implant would be her only hope to ever hear.
But the wait for the surgery was five years long. Claudia would be too old to benefit from the cochlear implant.
Then fate listened up. Aldo, a physician, happened to meet members of a Little Rock church during their mission trip to Peru. Months later, Claudia became the first international child ever to receive a cochlear implant at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
She now hears for the first time in her life.
Claudia's team at Arkansas Children's Hospital has grown to love the energetic child. Many are conviced they were meant to help her.
"All of this stuff does not just lay out in front of you unless it's God that's put it there," said Arkansas Children's Hospital speech pathologist, Krista Scruggs.
"Everybody falls in love with this child, she's amazing," Scruggs continued.
With her precociousness and curiosity, Claudia has charmed her team of doctors, nurses and therapists. Her physician, Dr. John Dornhoffer is hearing impaired himself.
"It's satisfying because you help somebody else with frustration because I know what it's like and you get a little bit of satisfaction about it. It's like you scored a little bit against the enemy of hearing loss," Dornhoffer said.
"It's always interesting how much a group of people can get done if no one really has to take the credit for it, if we all just spread it around, it's a good thing," he continued.
As for Claudia's parent's, watching Claudia react verbally to what she now hears is the sweetest sound.
"Now for sure we know shes going to have a better life," said her father.
The Navarro family will soon return to Peru. There, her family will use the techniques they learned at Arkansas Children's Hospital to help Claudia continue to improve her hearing and speaking.
For any other two year old, this would be an unremarkable series of events, but for Claudia it was nothing short of a miracle.
That moment of hearing took over 3,000 miles of travel, nearly two years of waiting and dozens of people working together.
"It is for us, like a dream," explained Claudia's father, Aldo.
Claudia was born with profound hearing loss. In the family's home country of Peru, doctors placed Claudia on a waiting list for a cochlear implant. That implant would be her only hope to ever hear.
But the wait for the surgery was five years long. Claudia would be too old to benefit from the cochlear implant.
Then fate listened up. Aldo, a physician, happened to meet members of a Little Rock church during their mission trip to Peru. Months later, Claudia became the first international child ever to receive a cochlear implant at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
She now hears for the first time in her life.
Claudia's team at Arkansas Children's Hospital has grown to love the energetic child. Many are conviced they were meant to help her.
"All of this stuff does not just lay out in front of you unless it's God that's put it there," said Arkansas Children's Hospital speech pathologist, Krista Scruggs.
"Everybody falls in love with this child, she's amazing," Scruggs continued.
With her precociousness and curiosity, Claudia has charmed her team of doctors, nurses and therapists. Her physician, Dr. John Dornhoffer is hearing impaired himself.
"It's satisfying because you help somebody else with frustration because I know what it's like and you get a little bit of satisfaction about it. It's like you scored a little bit against the enemy of hearing loss," Dornhoffer said.
"It's always interesting how much a group of people can get done if no one really has to take the credit for it, if we all just spread it around, it's a good thing," he continued.
As for Claudia's parent's, watching Claudia react verbally to what she now hears is the sweetest sound.
"Now for sure we know shes going to have a better life," said her father.
The Navarro family will soon return to Peru. There, her family will use the techniques they learned at Arkansas Children's Hospital to help Claudia continue to improve her hearing and speaking.
