Colby and his parents didn't realize the 8-year-old had developed single-sided deafness until he came home from school, where they said he didn't pass a hearing test.
At Children's Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy in Maitland, Colby received a cochlear implant. The FDA just approved the cochlear implant system for single-sided deafness in July. It’s the first of its kind in Central Florida, according to the practice.
Colby had surgery last week with the device that would allow him to hear.After a few minutes of tests, Colby began hearing out of his ear.