Darren was born with profound hearing loss. His parents suspected that he couldn’t hear when they noticed that loud noises didn't disturb him as he slept. He was enrolled in an auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) program for hearing-impaired children. This early training plus powerful hearing aids enabled Darren to attend public school through much of his childhood.

"The taste of food always has been important to me," Darren stated. "But my high expectations tended to leave me unsatisfied, particularly in restaurants. When I realized how much I enjoyed cooking for my friends and family, I decided to pursue a career as a chef." He began taking cooking classes and abandoned college to gain experience cooking at a variety of restaurants. Later he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. When he finished school, he served an internship in Maui, Hawaii, working at several top island restaurants.

Eventually, the communication challenges that his hearing loss presented at work proved frustrating. "My attempts to understand verbal communications on the job became increasingly difficult," he said. He also began to realize that he was tired of working for others and wanted to be his own boss, choose his own menu and greet his own patrons. When he returned to the mainland, Darren investigated the possibility of a cochlear implant. "It was a tough personal decision but finally I was persuaded that cochlear implant technology was very good, the risk rate low and the potential benefits high. I decided to give it a try and was referred to the House Clinic for an evaluation."

House Clinic physician, William M. Luxford, MD, successfully performed Darren's cochlear implant surgery. After a few weeks of aural rehabilitation, Darren was surprised at the level of his ability to hear. "The results were much better than I imagined,” he recalled. "Now I can hear sounds I never knew before, such as birds singing and cats meowing." Three months after receiving his implant, Darren opened his first restaurant. Most evenings you’ll find him chatting with customers and treating them to one of his signature dishes, which fuse tastes of the Pacific Rim with Mediterranean cuisine.

Darren believes that regardless of physical challenges, people shouldn't give up pursuing what makes them happy. "If you are motivated, you can succeed," he said.